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Youths protest fuel scarcity, hike in price, demand suspension of 2023 polls
Nigerian Youth Congress for Peace and Development (NYCPD) on Sunday protested the persistent fuel scarcity across the country and the unbearable hike in price by the few independent marketers that have the product.
Addressing the press in Jos, the Plateau State capital, the group, led by its president, Dennis Ebi, described the scarcity as artificial and the hardship Nigerians are facing as unbearable, calling for the head of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Ebi said: “The recent adjustment in the pump price was done without adequate consultation with relevant stakeholders in the oil and gas value chain.
“To our greatest surprise, His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, like other Nigerians first got to know about the increment of the price from rumour mills.
“That triggered him to issue a press statement through his Media Adviser, Mr. Horatius Egua, denying the obvious fact of the adjustment and also assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari hasn’t approved the upward review of PMS price. He also assured Nigerians that Mr. President has not seen any reason why the price of the product has to go up.”
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He said that the minister described what was happening as the handiwork of mischief makers and those planning to discredit the achievements of President Buhari in the oil and gas sector of the economy.
According to him, “In response to this, our team delegated some of our members to visit NNPCL retail to ascertain the extant price of the product. To our greatest surprise, NNPCL has since adjusted their pump price. The same applies to all stations owned by major marketers. Numerous independent marketers are now selling above N400 per litre, where it is available.
“Does NNPCL no longer report to the Minister of State for Petroleum and Resources, who is the middle man between it and Mr. President, who is the senior minister?
“Is NNPCL now in the hands of mischief makers and those planning to discredit President Muhammadu Buhari? It is our considered view that the lack of cohesion between the Petroleum Ministry and the NNPCL has thrown Nigerians into this untold but avoidable hardship.
“As we plan towards the 2023 election amidst gross hardship, our members can’t be disenfranchised and stopped from travelling to states where they registered to vote due to artificial fuel scarcity.
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“Therefore, we want to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend all election processes and address the suffering of Nigerians and set up the mechanism for the installation of an Interim National Government.
“We demand immediate overhaul of the leadership of NNPCL and some of its subsidiaries over the role they played in increasing PMS pump prices without adequate consultation, thereby triggering inflation and throwing millions of Nigerians into poverty.
“The president should immediately order NNPCL and oil marketers to reverse the current PMS that was done without due consultation until necessary palliatives to cushion the impact of the adjustment is put in place.
“Where our demands above are not met in two weeks, we shall be forced to mobilize our people to the streets to ensure that our demands are met.
“By this notice, all our states and local government structures are hereby mandated to commence mobilization for the mother of all protests.”
metro
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
The United Kingdom Home Office has announced an upward revision of visa application fees across various categories, with the cost of study visas for main applicants and their dependents rising from £490 to £524.
According to an update published on the Home Office website on March 19, the new fees will apply from April 9. The cost of a six-month visit visa will increase from £115 to £127, while a two-year visa will now be issued at £475, up from £432. Additionally, the fee for a 10-year visa has been raised from £963 to £1,059.
Transit visas have also been affected by the changes, with the direct airside transit visa fee increasing from £35 to £39, and the direct landside visit visa rising from £64 to £70.
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The UK has long been a preferred destination for Nigerian students looking to further their education, often as a way to escape economic challenges at home. However, the number of Nigerian students applying to study in the UK has dropped significantly in 2024 following a government policy barring most international students from bringing their family members.
The rule, which does not apply to postgraduate research students, has led to a decline in study visa applications from countries such as Nigeria and India. A March 2024 report by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service highlighted the shift, noting that many prospective students are now seeking admission in alternative destinations.
UK hikes visa fees as new rates take effect April 9
metro
Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr
Ramadan ends in Nigeria, Sultan announces March 30 as Eid-el-Fitr
Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad, says the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan fasting has been sighted.
The Sultan, who is president of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSIA), said in a broadcast on Saturday night, “Today marks the end of the Ramadan fasting and Sunday, March 30, is the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.”
metro
Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians
Embrace environmental sanitation during Eid-Fitr, LAGESC boss tells Lagosians
By Dada Jackson
The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has urged Lagosians to embrace proper environmental practices and obey the state’s environmental laws ahead of the Eid-l-Fitr festivities to mark the end of the Ramadan fast by Muslim faithful around the world.
Corps Marshal of the agency, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (retd), sounded the call at the agency’s command headquarters at Bolade-Oshodi.
He said, ‘‘The Ramadan fast is a testament to the willingness of Muslim faithful to adhere to the pillars of their faith and it is enjoined that cleanliness is an important religious practice in all faiths, which is why we admonish Lagosians to imbibe proper waste disposal and keep their environment clean during the celebration.”
Cole also advised Lagosians to make proper use of pedestrian bridges for their safety instead of crossing highways to prevent ‘hit and run’ cases by speeding motorists.
He equally read a riot act to miscreants in the habit of converting pedestrian bridges to sleeping areas which deters Lagosians in transit, pedestrians vowing that anyone caught w be made to face the state Environmental laws as amended
The KAI boss also revealed that the agency had recorded giant strides and would not relent in ridding pedestrian bridges across Lagos of criminal obstructions, traders and hawkers with daily arrests made alongside secured prosecutions by the Courts.
The Corps Marshal also warned Lagosians to desist from street trading, use of Styrofoam pack, hawking in traffic, patronage of cart pushers for refuse disposal, and erection of illegal structures on laybys, setbacks, medians, road verges, kerbs or around public schools in the state.
The KAI head said offenders would be made to face the consequences via prosecution in a competent court of appropriate jurisdiction.
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