NNPCL Reveals Date Petrol Scarcity Will End Across Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd affirmed on Tuesday that the ongoing fuel scarcity and queues across the country will be cleared out by Wednesday, April 31. The Chief Communications Officer, NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, confirmed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos. According to Soneye, the company currently has products available exceeding 1.5 billion litres, which can last for at least 30 days. He said, “Unfortunately, we experienced a three-day disruption in distribution due to logistical issues, which has since been resolved. “However, as you know, overcoming such disruptions typically requires double the amount of time to return to normal operations. “Some folks are taking advantage of this situation to maximize profits. “Thankfully, product scarcity has been minimal lately, but these folks might be exploiting the situation for unwarranted gain. “The lines will be cleared out between today and tomorrow.” Similarly, the National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (lPMAN), Hammed Fashola, expressed hope that the queues in Lagos and Ogun would ease off this week, relying on the words of the NNPCL. Fashola, however, stated that the queues in Abuja might tarry a bit due to the distance to Lagos. He said, “The information available to us from the NNPCL was that there was a logistics problem, and when that happens, it will disrupt the supply chain. “That might be a delay in the movement of ships from the mother vessel to the daughter vessel before it gets to the depot tanks. “Before we can correct that, surely it will take some days. I think by Tuesday or Wednesday, there will be more products available for lifting by marketers. “It might take time before it can ease off in Abuja, considering the distance to Lagos and the bad roads; Lagos might be calm this new week.”

We didn’t shoot pro-Yahaya Bello protesters in Abuja —EFCC 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) refutes claims of firing at supporters of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, during a demonstration at its Abuja headquarters.  According to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, there was no such incident as depicted in a video circulating on social media. He said the operatives only dispersed the protesters who went to the commission’s headquarters to disrupt activities. The EFCC spokesperson added: ”No arrests were made as claimed by the group. “Two groups demonstrated at the commission today. The first group came with a letter of commendation in support of the EFCC anti-corruption fight. ”They presented their letter, which was received by the Director of Public Enlightenment Department, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who promised to deliver their message to the chairman. ”Not quite long, another group came. These people were violent and destructive; the men of the commission had to chase them away. “It is not true, nobody was arrested and there was no shootout.” Bello’s supporters had gone to the EFCC office to protest his alleged political persecution. The pro-Bello protest was staged by the Kogi Youth Coalition. They claimed they were attacked by the EFCC operatives. The group claimed that the first group of protesters were allowed into the commission but the pro-Bello group were denied entry. Videos of the protesters struggling to make their statements while being harassed and scampering for safety flooded social media with a picture of a badly damaged vehicle. The group claimed that about 10 members were arrested while many were injured.

PayTV Operators Have Right To Fix Prices – BON

The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) says that pay TV operators and other related service providers in the country have the choice and right to fix their desired fees. DSTV and GoTv are billed to begin a review in the new price hike l 1, 2024. BON’s position stems from the social media calls on the Federal Competition and Con¬sumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to review the new price hike proposition. In a statement issued by BON and signed by its Exec¬utive Secretary, Yemisi Bamg-bose, tagged ‘Increase in Price of Goods and Services – Let Pay Tv Providers Fix their Prices’, it took exceptions to the posi¬tion of some netizens for kick¬ing against the upward price review by MultiChoice, owner of DsTV and GoTv. According to Bamgbose, “I was going through social media last Friday, and I came across a story titled ‘FCCPC to review the new price hike for DSTV and GOTV’. What a wonderful way of protecting consumers’ interests. “I would have given FCCPC thumbs up if they have been intervening on price matters, most especially those that have direct bearing on the livelihood of the masses. If the mandate of FCCPC includes price con¬trol of goods and services in a free and deregulated economy, where was the organisation when bakers association in the country increased the cost of a loaf of bread more than 200% in the last one year? Bread is an essential commodity. What took away the mandate of FC¬CPC to review the cost of the most staple food of the com¬mon man which Nigerians can no longer afford?” Stating further, Bamgbose expressed doubts if FCCPC was aware that a sachet of pure water had been increased from N5 to N20 in the last one year. She also queried why FCCPC didn’t stop the bottling companies in the country from astro-nomically increasing the cost of Malt and other soft drinks and didn’t call stakeholders meeting to review the new prices. On the cost of a bag of cement which has now been in¬creased from N4,000 in the last one year, she asked why FCCPC did not deem it fit to invite Dangote, BUA and Lafarge cement manufacturers with relevant stakeholders to discuss the more than 100% increase on a bag of cement. Aviation sector, according to her, on a daily ba¬sis, increases the cost of domes¬tic flights. In the education sector, she wondered why FCCPC could not call for the review of the cost being charged by private educational institutions, especially those charging in dollars in a country where naira is the legal tender. “On the part of broadcasting, I want to assume that FC¬CPC does not know what goes into the business of broadcasting. Perhaps, that could inform the decision of the agency to plan the proposed review of the increase in the price of DsTv and GoTv pay TV channels, respectively. “I would not blame FCCPC for inadequate information about the challenges confronting players in the broadcast sector, more so, that media practitioners are saddled with the responsibility of dancing the dance of other people and also mandated to carry loads of others on their heads while leaving their own luggage un¬attended. nels, state owned radio and TV stations, private radio stations, etc where consumers don’t pay to listen to radio or watch television. There are subscription channels such as MULTI¬CHOICE, GOtv, TNtv, STAR¬TIMES, etc where viewers pay to watch and listen. There are choices.” She said that during COVID-19 pandemic, stations burnt diesel without adverts or other sources of revenue for more than twelve months in national interest. “The centre is yet to hold before the last straw that broke the camel’s back came in the name of subsidy removal from petroleum products as well as floating of the nation’s currency”, BON said. The challenge, according to her, is that not many people buy diesel to run business and they can switch on and off as they want depending on their needs. They should not be blamed for not knowing what it means to buy a litre above N1,500. To sev¬eral others, the removal of fuel subsidy affected the premium motor spirit only, it noted. “The cost of diesel rose from N200 per litre in 2021 to N1,700 per litre in 2023/24, and broad¬cast stations have to transmit for twenty-four hours changing from one generator to the other. “None of the national stations such as Channels TV, Arise, TVC, AIT, Silverbird, NTA, amongst others, commits less than N100 million on diesel on monthly basis to keep their mandate of information, education and entertainment. “It may interest the public to know that many, if not all, of the national radio and television stations in Nigeria have not been able to break-even since 2020 when the nation’s economy was shut down as a result to COVID-19 pandemic. In Nigeria, we want everything free. “What subscribers pay to MultiChoice, Startimes or any DTT and DTH is the quality of content of many channels brought direct to their homes or offices. It’s a business and there are choices.

Court stops Dstv, Gotv from increasing subscription prices

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order to halt the planned increase in subscription prices by Multichoice Nigeria Limited, the operator of DStv and GOtv. The court’s decision comes in response to Multichoice’s announcement of a forthcoming price increment across its DStv and GOtv packages, set to take effect from May 1, 2024.  The company cited a rise in the cost of business operations in Nigeria due to price adjustments. According to the notice signed by Multichoice CEO John Ugbe, subscribers received via email, the new prices for DStv packages included increases for the Premium package, now priced at N37,000 monthly, up from the current N29,500 subscription fee.  Similarly, the Compact+ bouquet increased to N25,000 from N19,800 monthly, while the Compact bouquet would cost N15,700 instead of the current N12,500. For GOtv users, price adjustments were also announced, with increases across packages such as Supa Plus, Supa, Max, and Jolli. However, the court’s intervention has temporarily put a stop to the planned price increases, offering relief to subscribers who expressed concerns over the successive hikes in subscription fees over the past year. Multichoice had faced criticism for the frequency of its subscription fee increments, with this being the third increase in the past year alone.

Governor Obaseki Announces N70, 000 New Minimum Wage

The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for civil servants in the state. The governor revealed this while commissioning the new Labour House in Edo state on Monday. According to him, the new wage comes into effect on May 1st, 2024. This is as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) battles the Federal Government over increasing the minimum wage to match increasing national inflation and skyrocketing food inflation. The inflation rate for March 2024 hit 33.2 per cent from 31.70 per cent in February, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Food inflation also rose to 31.7 per cent in March from 30 per cent in February.

Tinubu govt lacks the capacity to tackle Nigeria’s economic challenge – Suswam

Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, said the government of President Bola Tinubu can not change Nigeria’s economic fortunes. Suswam made this statement in an interview on Channels Television. He said the Tinubu administration can not take the country out of the economic woe inflicted by his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari. “Well, it’s rather unfortunate right from the Buhari Government where the mantra of ‘Change’ was the singsong. Unfortunately, people didn’t ask what kind of change he was bringing into governance. Is it positive change or negative change? “What we experienced under those eight years were what dovetailed into what we’re experiencing today because whatever foundation that was built by the PDP was completely destroyed by that (Buhari) government. “We now began a journey to the abyss. The state of the nation, economically, is nothing to talk about, it’s unfortunate that the current (Tinubu) leadership does not have what it takes to change the economic fortunes of this country,” he said. According to him, the removal of petrol subsidy, floating of the naira, and an increase in electricity tariff, among other policies, is evident that the government is out to make things worse for the Nigerian masses.

Social Responsibility: The Chinese restate commitment to renovation of schools

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, has reiterated the country’s commitment to school building, refurbishing, and renovation as part of their social responsibility to Nigeria. Ambassador Jianchun stated that Chinese companies have been investing and working with their Nigeria counterpart in building infrastructures that benefit the common man directly. Jianchun made this known during the formal commissioning of the upgraded school facilities in China Assisted Model Primary School Nyanya in Abuja. The school facilities upgraded are replacement of toilet partition, re-painting two sides of the gate wall and replacement of reinforced concrete drainage slab. Also donated to the school are 16 whiteboards, 4 of Office Desk With Wooden Top And Metal Legs , 4 Wooden Office Chair With Armrest, 40 Student Backpack and 70 Library Books And Textbooks. Also, among the donated items are 960 prices of Notebooks For Schoolwork, 960 pieces of pencils, 450 pieces of pen, 1000 pieces of Remove Pencil Or Ink marks480 pieces of Straight Measuring tools. Lastly on the list of donated items are 2 basketball, 4 soccer balls and 20 pieces of slippery ropes, 20 small hand carry bag of premium rice, 20 bottles of premium cooking oil and 224 Bottles of Coca-Cola and Fanta. Represented by the Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Zhang Yi, he stated that China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in a bid to fulfils its social responsibilities and gives back to the local people while carrying out production and operation activities in Nigeria, took the initiative to ask the Chinese Embassy for instructions. He expressed its willingness to undertake a repair work and donate relevant teachers’ and students’ supplies so as to provide a better learning environment and conditions for the students. Handing over the donated items to the Executive Chairman of FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Dr. Alhassan Sule, the Managing Director of CRBC, Zhou Hao, stated that they took advantage of the school holiday period to replace blackboards for the children, repair the bathrooms, and carry out other feasible tasks. “In different peoples of different continents, children is the common ground that transcends ethnicity and nationality. They fill the world with hope and brightness. They represent the future’s expectations and aspirations, and they rightfully deserve a better life. “This is why we believe that improving children’s educational conditions and environments is a shared goal among people from all sectors in both China and Nigeria.” “Respecting local Nigerian culture and focusing on corporate social responsibilities are pillars of CRBC in Nigeria. In cities like Kano, Ibadan, and Uyo, we have donated school equipment to local primary schools, visited local orphanages, repaired roads for the community, and constructed wells and related water facilities. “This demonstrates our unwavering commitment to community and development.” Appreciating the embassy, the Executive Chairman of FCT UBEB, Dr. Alhassan Sule stated that he wanted to thank the Chinese embassy for their kind gesture. Dr Sule informed that education globally is everybody’s responsibility. Today, the difference between developed nations and developing nations is education. Any investment made in education is geared towards developing the society. Nobody on earth can explore potential without classroom. Speaking further, he said, “Recently most of our schools are experiencing a facelift, government alone cannot do it that’s why we are soliciting for partners to support education. we are asking for the help of the Chinese embassy to help us convert this school to ICT hub so that anybody anywhere can have access to education. ” Represented by the Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Zhang Yi, he stated that China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in a bid to fulfils its social responsibilities and gives back to the local people while carrying out production and operation activities in Nigeria, took the initiative to ask the Chinese Embassy for instructions. He expressed its willingness to undertake a repair work and donate relevant teachers’ and students’ supplies so as to provide a better learning environment and conditions for the students. Handing over the donated items to the Executive Chairman of FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Dr. Alhassan Sule, the Managing Director of CRBC, Zhou Hao, stated that they took advantage of the school holiday period to replace blackboards for the children, repair the bathrooms, and carry out other feasible tasks. “In different peoples of different continents, children is the common ground that transcends ethnicity and nationality. They fill the world with hope and brightness. They represent the future’s expectations and aspirations, and they rightfully deserve a better life. “This is why we believe that improving children’s educational conditions and environments is a shared goal among people from all sectors in both China and Nigeria.” “Respecting local Nigerian culture and focusing on corporate social responsibilities are pillars of CRBC in Nigeria. In cities like Kano, Ibadan, and Uyo, we have donated school equipment to local primary schools, visited local orphanages, repaired roads for the community, and constructed wells and related water facilities. “This demonstrates our unwavering commitment to community and development.” Appreciating the embassy, the Executive Chairman of FCT UBEB, Dr. Alhassan Sule stated that he wanted to thank the Chinese embassy for their kind gesture. Dr Sule informed that education globally is everybody’s responsibility. Today, the difference between developed nations and developing nations is education. Any investment made in education is geared towards developing the society. Nobody on earth can explore potential without classroom. Speaking further, he said, “Recently most of our schools are experiencing a facelift, government alone cannot do it that’s why we are soliciting for partners to support education. We are asking for the help of the Chinese embassy to help us convert this school to an ICT hub so that anybody anywhere can have access to education”.

NNPCL gives reason for fuel scarcity

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, has blamed what it calls “logistic issues” as the reason behind the current fuel scarcity in some states. The company blamed the logistic issues for the tightness in the supply of fuel in some parts of the country. NNPCL disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, assuring that the issue has been resolved. NNPCL reiterated that the prices of petroleum products are not changing nationwide. Soneye urged Nigerians to avoid panic buying as there is a sufficiency of products in the country. The statement read in part: “NNPC Ltd says cause of tightness in fuel supply resolved. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) wishes to clarify that the tightness in the supply of Premium Motor Spirit currently being experienced in some areas across the country is as a result of logistics issues and that they have been resolved. “It also wishes to reiterate that the prices of petroleum products are not changing. “It urges Nigerians to avoid panic buying as there is a sufficiency of products in the country.”

Air Peace sets to commence Abuja-London flights

Nigerian airline operator Air Peace will commence its Abuja-London route very soon. This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Thursday. Featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, the minister said he has given the approval for Air Peace to add Abuja to its London route. Air Peace recently commenced its Lagos-Gatwick flights, gathering commendation from many Nigerians. Following the commencement of the Lagos-London route, other airlines crashed their prices, a situation that led to the owner of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, alleging an international conspiracy.

Glo, MTN, Airtel, Plan to Raise Tariff

Nigerians are in for very tough times as telecommunications companies operating in the country, namely Glo, MTN, Airtel, and 9Mobile have hinted of plans to raise their tariff. The four have called on regulatory authorities in the sector to facilitate constructive dialogue with the federal government in that regard. They expressed that the current price control mechanism is not in tune with the economic realities in Nigeria and hence the demand for government’s intervention in order to address pricing challenges. The four telecommunications companies say they were the only ones that have not reviewed their prices, which threaten the industry’s sustainability and possibly erodes investors’ confidence. They made this known in a joint statement by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Thursday. According to the statement signed by ALTON Chairman, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, and ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, there has not been a general service pricing upward review in the past 11 years. They attributed the non-increment to regulatory constraints despite the adverse operating environment and economic hardship. They said: “For a fully liberalized and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence. “Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last 11 years, primarily due to regulatory constraints. “Government needs to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.” They also expressed concerns on the worsening security challenges affecting the productivity of the services provided, urging the federal government erect measures to tackle the menace. “Telecom infrastructure undisputedly plays a pivotal role in Nigeria’s national security and socioeconomic growth, especially as the country currently contends with multiple security challenges that require urgent and immediate actions in response to these threats. “Attacks on cell towers, fibre optic cables, and other critical assets disrupt telecommunications services and result in significant financial losses for operators. We urge the government to prioritize the security of telecommunications infrastructure and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to enhance protection measures and combat vandalism and sabotage effectively. “The industry also requires substantial investments in network expansion, maintenance, and technology upgrades,” they said.