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Petrol price drops slightly to N254 per litre in April 2023 – NBS

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Petrol price drops slightly to N254 per litre in April 2023 – NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, says the average retail price of a litre of petrol witnessed a drop from N264.29 in March to N254.06 in April 2023.

This is according to the NBS Petrol Price Watch released in Abuja on Friday.

It stated that the April 2023 price of N254.06 represented a 3. 87 per cent decrease over the price of N264.29 recorded in March 2023.

However, the average retail price of a litre of petrol increased on a year-on-year basis from N172.61 recorded in April 2022 to N254.06 in April 2023.

It stated that the April 2023 price of N254.06 represented a 47.18 per cent increase over the price of N172.61 recorded in April 2022.

“On state profiles analysis, Taraba paid the highest average retail price of N320.00 per litre , followed by Imo at N310.55 and Jigawa at N305.00.

“Conversely, Sokoto paid the lowest average retail price of N195.00, followed by Benue at N198.13 and Kogi with N206.11,” it stated.

Analysis by zone, the NBS said,  showed that the South-East recorded the highest average retail price in April 2023 at N291.15, while the North-Central recorded the lowest at N208.88.

The NBS also stated in its Diesel Price Watch Report for April 2023 that the average retail price paid by consumers increased by 28.69 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

It explained that the retail price moved from a lower cost of N654.46 per litre recorded in April 2022 to a higher cost of N842.25 per litre in April 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 0.17 per cent from N840.81 per litre recorded in March 2023 to an average of N842.25 in April 2023,” it added.

On state profiles analysis, the report said the highest average price of diesel in April 2023 was recorded in Adamawa at N980.33 per litre, followed by Bauchi at N934.46, and Borno at N900.50.

On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Bayelsa at N708.04 per litre, followed by Kebbi at N773.33 and Anambra at N773.56.

In addition, the analysis by zone showed that the North-East had the highest price at N895.42 per litre , while the South-South Zone recorded the lowest price at N807.59 per litre.

Breaking: Police rescue two kidnapped US Mission staff in Anambra

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Breaking: Police rescue two kidnapped US Mission staff in Anambra

Security operatives have rescued two members of staff of the United States Consulate in Nigeria, who were kidnapped during the attack on their convoy at Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra States on Tuesday.

The state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a press release to journalists in Awka, on Friday.

The identities of the rescued victims were yet to be diclosed.

But, Ikenga said they were rescued unhurt by the joint security forces in the early hours of Friday.

He stated, “In the early hours of Friday, May 19, 2023, the joint security forces rescued unhurt the two remaining victims abducted during the attack on a US convoy attack along Atani/Osamela road in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“Operations are still ongoing and further details shall be communicated, please,” Ikenga added.

Federal High Court sitting in Kano, nullifies Alex Otti’s candidature

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Federal High Court sitting in Kano, nullifies Alex Otti’s candidature

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, presided over by Justice M N Yunusa has nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia and Kano States.

The court ruled that their emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

A copy of the judgement delivered by the court was obtained Friday morning by DAILY POST.

The Court in Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid.

“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have a candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election; this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted vote,” the Judge ruled.

On Wednesday, the Labour Party had accused a “breakaway group” of the party led by acting National Chairman Lamidi Apapa of approaching a court in Kano State to seek the nullification of the party’s recent electoral victories.

The LP’s acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, who raised the alarm in a statement, said “The Labour Party has been informed of an illegal attempt by a breakaway group in the party led by Lamidi Apapa to misguide a Kano state High court to invalidate all the elections won by the Labour Party in the just concluded general election.”

The party spokesman alleged that “the suspended National Legal Adviser and a key member of the disgraced Apapa group, Samuel Akingbade Oyelekan, on Wednesday while the Presidential Appeal Tribunal was sitting in Abuja with all attentions focused on it, clandestinely sneaked out of Abuja to Kano state where he in collaboration with some members of the other political parties asked the court to invalidate all the elections won by the Labour Party, particularly, the national assembly in the 36 states and FCT on the ground that we didn’t submit register of voters to INEC.”

He added that Akingbade, who presented himself as representing the Labour Party, did not oppose the motion, thus forcing the helpless judge to reserve judgement for Thursday, (yesterday).

Ifoh went on to ask the judiciary and all law enforcement agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services, DSS, to note that Akingbade and loyalists of Apapa’s had ceased to represent the party.

Petrol price drops slightly to N254 per litre in April 2023 – NBS

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Petrol price drops slightly to N254 per litre in April 2023 – NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the average retail price of a litre of petrol witnessed a drop from N264.29 in March to N254.06 in April 2023.

This is according to the NBS Petrol Price Watch released in Abuja on Friday.

It stated that the April 2023 price of N254.06 represented a 3. 87 per cent decrease over the price of N264.29 recorded in March 2023.

However, the average retail price of a litre of petrol increased on a year-on-year basis from N172.61 recorded in April 2022 to N254.06 in April 2023.

It stated that the April 2023 price of N254.06 represented a 47.18 per cent increase over the price of N172.61 recorded in April 2022.

“On state profiles analysis, Taraba paid the highest average retail price of N320.00 per litre , followed by Imo at N310.55 and Jigawa at N305.00.

“Conversely, Sokoto paid the lowest average retail price of N195.00, followed by Benue at N198.13 and Kogi with N206.11,” it stated.

Analysis by zone, the NBS said,  showed that the South-East recorded the highest average retail price in April 2023 at N291.15, while the North-Central recorded the lowest at N208.88.

The NBS also stated in its Diesel Price Watch Report for April 2023 that the average retail price paid by consumers increased by 28.69 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

It explained that the retail price moved from a lower cost of N654.46 per litre recorded in April 2022 to a higher cost of N842.25 per litre in April 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 0.17 per cent from N840.81 per litre recorded in March 2023 to an average of N842.25 in April 2023,” it added.

On state profiles analysis, the report said the highest average price of diesel in April 2023 was recorded in Adamawa at N980.33 per litre, followed by Bauchi at N934.46, and Borno at N900.50.

On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Bayelsa at N708.04 per litre, followed by Kebbi at N773.33 and Anambra at N773.56.

In addition, the analysis by zone showed that the North-East had the highest price at N895.42 per litre , while the South-South Zone recorded the lowest price at N807.59 per litre.

Peter Obi, has revealed that his duplicates are on the rampage, mimicking his voice while calling people

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Peter Obi, has revealed that his duplicates are on the rampage, mimicking his voice while calling people

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, has revealed that his duplicates are on the rampage, mimicking his voice while calling people. 

Obi made this revelation in a statement via his verified Twitter handle on Thursday.

The Labour Party presidential candidate, who expressed worry over the development, lamented that he has become a target both locally and internationally.

He stated, “My duplicates are still on the rampage, they now mimic my voice and call people. There is no limit that people cannot go to cause mischief on their target. I have been a target both locally and internationally.” 

Recall that the audio of a leaked phone conversation between Obi and the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church, David Oyedepo recently.

But, the Head, Obi-Datti Media Office, veteran broadcaster, Diran Onifade, dismissed the audio as deep fake and a product of the propaganda machinery of the ruling All Progressives Congress, a member of the media team, Keneth Okwonkwo, confirmed the authenticity of the audio.

Okwonkwo’s statement issued in a series of tweets on his Twitter handle a few hours after Diran’s statement however explained that the audio was being taken out of context by Obi’s opponents.

In the audio which was released by an online newspaper, Peoples Gazette, Obi solicited the support of Oyedepo to help get votes from Christians in South-West.

The Labour Party Presidenrial candidate was heard saying the votes were needed because the 2023 presidential election was a religious war.

He said, “Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara.This is a religious war. Like I keep saying: if this works, you people will never regret the support.”

The audio had attracted a firestorm on social media with some of Obi’s supporters insisting that the voice recording was saying it was a forgery.

Onifade had in a statement issued in the early hours of Sunday, said, “It appears the All Progressives Congress’ desperation to grab and retain power by foul means has refused to go away more than a month after they have grabbed the election as they planned.

“While we are toeing the constitutional path to retrieve our mandate, those who have truncated the wishes of the majority of Nigerians have recoursed to mischief and endless subterfuge to continue to hold on to what they know does not belong to them.

“From the show of shame in Portharcourt to the drama in the Ibom Air aircraft, both of which they contrived, they have now moved to the circulation of a deep fake audio file aimed at promoting religious tension in the country.

Man jailed for stealing gas cylinder from police barracks

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Man jailed for stealing gas cylinder from police barracks

Three men, Friday Effiong, Michael Chukwu and Alex Essien, were on Thursday sentenced to nine years and five months imprisonment by an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court sitting in Tinubu Lagos Island for stealing.

The Magistrate, Oluwatosin Erinle, sentenced them after they pleaded guilty to the charge against them.

The convicts were arraigned on April 11, 2023, on charges bordering on conspiracy, stealing and burglary preferred against them by the police.

The police prosecutor, Cyriacus Osuji, told the court that 32-year-old Effiong and others still at large conspired to commit the offence.

He said the first defendant, on April 6, 2023, around 4.45pm, stole a bicycle valued at N145,000, property of one Bamgboye John.

He said the convict also stole two HP laptops valued at N280,000, property of one Ibelema Pepple.

He said the incident took place at No. 2A, Bayo Kuku Road, Ikoyi Lagos State.

Effiong pleaded guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor also told the court that Chukwu and others at large on April 10, 2023, stole a 6kg gas cylinder and its burner valued at N20,000.

He said the incident took place around 8.40pm at Block 16, Falomo Police Barracks Ikoyi.

Osuji said the property that was stolen belonged to one Abdulazeez Animashaun.

The convict pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge against him when he was arraigned.

30-year-old Essien was accused of scaling a fence and wilfully damaging two air-conditioners valued at N410,000.

The magistrate sentenced the first convict to five years and eight months imprisonment, while the second convict was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

Erinle also sentenced the third convict to three years imprisonment.

Two suspects arrested over attack on US Embassy staff in Anambra

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Two suspects arrested over attack on US Embassy staff in Anambra

The Police Command In Anambra State has said that two suspects have been arrested in connection with Tuesday’s attack on the US Consulate Convoy in Ogbaru Local Government Area. 

Preliminary investigations conducted by the police revealed that seven persons were killed in the assault. Of the seven, three were US Consulate officials and four were Mobile Police escorts.

Speaking on the development on Thursday, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Echeng Echeng said a Joint Security Task Force comprising of police tactical teams and troops of the Nigerian Army and Navy, raided the suspects’ hideout at Ugwuaneocha community within Ogbaru LGA.

According to him, the security operatives upon arrival, met a deserted camp. And while the camp was razed down, the Commissioner disclosed that two persons of interest have been arrested and they are under interrogations by the police.

During the press briefing at the State Police Command headquarters, Amawbia, the Commissioner also stated that the victims, five male officials of the US Embassy and four armed police escorts from Lagos were on a mission to assess the impact of erosion in Ogbaru.

They were in a convoy of two vehicles when the attack occurred.

The police chief said further investigations are underway and findings will be shared with the public in due time.

Nigerian govt approves development of electronic platform for birth, death registrations

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Nigerian govt approves development of electronic platform for birth, death registrations

The Federal Government has approved the development of an Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System, eCRVS, a platform that will effectively keep electronic records of birth and death registrations.

This is contained in a statement issued by Ifeanyi Nwoko, Acting Head of Media and Publicity, of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, in Abuja.

The commission said for the eCRVS, N5.3 billion private sector fund would be injected by the concessionaire, Messrs Barnksforte Technologies while the National Population Commission would be the project grantor.

The ICRC said the project seeks to capture and verify births and deaths in Nigeria and provide attestation and verification of certificates to end users on the platform.

“Prior to this, these registrations have been carried out manually, a process that has been characterised by low coverage and inadequate data,” the ICRC said.

The agency also said that the federal government approved the establishment of an Aviation Leasing Company, ALC, under a Public Private Partnership, PPP.

He said the approval was in a bid to inject private sector funds into infrastructure development and boost the nation’s economic growth.

The commission said both approvals were given following the issuance of Full Business Case, FBC, compliance certificates by ICRC, the agency statutorily established to regulate PPPs.

The ICRC said the ALC, which would be executed by Messrs AJW Consortium as concessionaires, seeks to provide an opportunity for local leases of aircraft to both domestic and international carriers.

“It will also alleviate the problems of aircraft/engine leasing, costly lease rates, and high insurance premium charges to Nigerian airlines.

“It will facilitate the ease of doing business for foreign lessors with Nigerian domestic airlines being a one-stop-shop thereby limiting capital flight and the strong demand on forex,” the commission said.

The commission said the ALC would provide leasing opportunities for Nigerian and African Airlines to boost their fleet size and alleviate the problems of aircraft leasing and high insurance premium charges.

The regulatory commission said it would also provide an alternative to foreign lessors and introduce competition which would relax the terms and conditions currently obtainable, thereby facilitating growth and development.

It said the project would also create employment opportunities for Nigerians which would have a multiplier effect on the economy.

” The ALC will commence with leasing eight aircraft in its first year of operation.

” The portfolio will increase as it grows to 50 leased aircraft after the seventh year and remain constant at 70 leased aircraft by 2034.

“The ALC then starts to purchase aircraft outright (instead of lease) after approximately seven years, once the portfolio exceeds 50 leased aircraft,” the commission said.

The project, the commission said, was approved by the Federal Ministry of Aviation as a grantor.

The private party will Design, Finance, Build, Operate, and Transfer the Project to the government at the end of the concession period of 15 years.”

Police officers allegedly found suspicious items at Seun Kuti’s house

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Police officers allegedly found suspicious items at Seun Kuti’s house

The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force said it has discovered suspicious items while searching the residence of Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat maestro, Fela Kuti.

Benjamin Hundeyin, Police Public Relations Officer, said this while reacting to a social media criticism surrounding the invasion of the residence of the embattled musician.

NewsWireNGR reports that Mr Kuti has been in detention after he was captured assaulting a police operative in uniform.

The musician has since been arraigned in court and undergoing investigations in police custody.

On Thursday, the founder of the online news platform, Nairaland, Seun Osewa, had accused the police of harassing Mr Kuti’s family by ransacking their home and seizing his wife’s phone.

He said the action of the police would make them lose the sympathy of Nigerians who have condemned the physical assault of its personnel by the singer.

But responding to the tweet, Mr Hundeyin said: “In the course of our investigation, we stumbled on certain suspicious things that needed to be proven/disproved beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We, therefore, applied for and duly got a search warrant from the court which we have executed. Investigation continues.

“No law restricts the police to investigate only the initial crime. World over, Police Departments stumble on other crimes while investigating an initial crime.

“We are duty bound to investigate them in line with our mandate of detecting and investigating crimes.”

Nigeria moves to establish 3 vaccine hubs in the country

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Nigeria moves to establish 3 vaccine hubs in the country

The Federal Government has begun construction of three megastores to fast-track the establishment of vaccine hubs in the country.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said this at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 3-Hub project on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the hub in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, is one of the three mega stores planned for vaccine storage capacity at the national level in the country.

“Nigeria is a large country and continuously increasing population coupled with the introduction of new and essential vaccines.

“This requires that we have sufficient storage space for vaccines and injection materials for efficient implementation of our immunization programme,” he said.

According to Mr Ehanire, each of the hubs is centralised to serve two geopolitical locations and decentralised to timely respond to increasing vaccine demands.

He said the FCT and Kano hubs were being funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccine initiative, GAVI, while the Lagos hub would be funded through a World Bank loan.

“The ground-breaking ceremony is a significant milestone of the system redesign journey.

“The hub project is in two states and the FCT,” he said.

Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, said the hub would improve the immunisation logistics network and vaccine storage capacity amounting to 250 shipments per year.

Mr Shuaib said the FCT, Lagos and Kano States would be having the structure for the storage and preservation of vaccines and other medical equipment needed for immunisation.

The 3-Hub project he said, is an initiative led by NPHCDA to accommodate needed vaccines through 2035, adding that Lagos and Kano hubs would commenced simultaneously with that of the FCT.

Also speaking, Chief of Health, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Eduardo Celades said the UN Agency had set a goal to reduce the number of zero-dose children by 25 per cent by 2025, and by 50 per cent by 2030.

According to him, Nigeria has the second highest number of zero-dose children in the world, adding that the hubs would enable it to achieve agenda for immunisation to reach and protect every child

The supply chain challenges highlighted by the COVID-19 vaccination underline the need for a massive expansion of storage facilities to build resilience in the system.

In recognition of the need for resilience in the system, the Federal Government following detailed analysis, adopted a system redesign, to facilitate the construction of three mega stores at the national level.

The deployment of optimised cold chain equipment at the health facilities; efficient distribution system and the deployment of an electronic logistics management information system to provide visibility across the supply chain.

At NNPP, we don’t have N5bn to challenge Tinubu’s victory, says Buba Galadima

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At NNPP, we don’t have N5bn to challenge Tinubu’s victory, says Buba Galadima

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Buba Galadima, has said that the party didn’t have enormous resources to challenge the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in the presidential election petition tribunal.

Mr Galadima stated this while speaking to Arise TV on the recent meeting between the presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and the President-elect on Thursday.

According to him, such meetings are not strange in Nigerian political history.

He said: “Everything in Nigeria is news. Ordinarily, a meeting between two political leaders should not attract that kind of ecstasy from the citizenry.

“But you know Senator Kwankwaso contested against the president-elect in the 2023 election, in which the NNPP came fourth.

“However, after the contest, we’re one party that didn’t go to court even though we’re the only people who have credible reasons to go to court. That in itself speaks volumes and can be interpreted in several ways.

“The actual situation is that meetings of such nature and even the idea of unity government is not something new in Nigerian politics. It happened in the First Republic between the NCNC and the NPC – that’s Azikiwe’s and Ahmadu Bello’s parties.

“Later, there was also a unity government that was formed between the NPC and the NNDP led by Chief Samuel Akintola of the Western Region.

“Of course it is also on record that during the government of Shagari, the NPP led by Nnamdi Azikiwe had an agreement with the government of the NPN.

“So, it’s history that’s repeating itself. This is why there is the need to educate the young people about the history of their country.”

Responding to why the NNPP did not go to court to challenge Mr Tinubu’s victory like other opposition parties did, Mr Galadima said the party would require at least N5 billion to do that.

“First, we have to place on record that it’s the PDP that has expelled both Kwankwaso and myself. So we wouldn’t have been in a race just to stop them from winning an election.

“But we also know that even going to court entails a lot of resources, which we didn’t have. Our performance was measured solely on our credibility and not on the deep pocket.

“For anybody to go to court to challenge an election, that person must have not less than N5 billion. We don’t have that money to do that,” he said.

Direct Entry, UTME candidates to sit for same examination henceforth — JAMB

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Direct Entry, UTME candidates to sit for same examination henceforth — JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that Direct Entry (DE) candidates seeking to gain admission to Nigerian universities will henceforth be required to sit for the UTME along with other candidates.

JAMB said that the new policy was to ensure that the DE candidates justify the possession of their A’level certificates.

This is disclosed in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the board’s Head, Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, at the end of its management committee meeting.

He said the committee meeting was held to appraise the recent crisis witnessed in the conduct of the 2023 DE registration.

Benjamin said the policy change was also to holistically address all loopholes giving rise to abuses in the DE admission processes.

According to him, this policy is to be situated within the ambit of the board’s relentless efforts aimed at enhancing the growth of the nation’s education sector to promote transparency, accountability and good governance.

He said the development underscored the board’s commitment and determination towards changing the negative narrative of A’level admissions into higher institutions in Nigeria.

 ” The board has expressed its commitment to press ahead with its efforts to reposition the conduct of public examinations in Nigeria.

” The board stated that the seeming crisis was birthed by the implementation of some of its newly-adopted processes aimed at curbing infractions in the  admission value chain given our national peculiarities.

”This policy is to be situated within the ambit of the Board’s relentless efforts aimed at enhancing the growth of the nation’s education sector as it would promote transparency, accountability and good governance,” he said.

He added that the board had again remitted N2 billion as its interim surplus for the 2023 operating year, saying more would be remitted as its operations for the years were completed.

He said this was in furtherance of the pledge by the Board Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede-led management, on assumption of duty to leverage on technology and discipline to manage the affairs of the board.

‘”Sinnce assuming office Prof. Oloyede-led management has remitted over N55 billion to the Federal Government coffers.

“This is far above the less than the  N60 million remitted by the board in the 38 years of its existence prior to the appointment of Prof. Oloyede.

”On assumption of office of the current registrar, he had come up with a policy which holds that whatever would be done, must be on the table.

”This has changed the narratives such that JAMB now posts humongous returns to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

”These returns were bolstered by the board’s expanded internal capacities for its operations achieved through direct execution of its processes and procedures, which instantly resulted in, for instance, a savings of N1.2 billion being paid annually to a service provider.

” It also reflects a downward review of the N1.2 billion being annually paid to another to about N400 million with the same old service provider. This in addition to the recovery of over N1.2 billion in both cash and estates in choice areas of Abuja in 2016,” he said.

Benjamin added that the steps had ensured that the board, which had remitted cumulatively in its 40 years of existence about N55 million to the national treasury, rendered N7.8 billion in the first year of the assumption of office of Oloyede.

He said it had also contributed over N27 billion directly into the national treasury.

”The remitted amount is without prejudice to the 30 per cent reduction in its application fee (N10.8 billion in four years since the reduction).

”Capital Fund (N11 billion including N6 billion, which is yet to be committed), Annual Awards/Grants to tertiary institutions for Capital Projects (N1 billion) and Special Staff Welfare Scheme (N2 billion). This would aggregate the cumulative surplus to about N54 billion over the last six years,” he added. 

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