Hardship: Why S-East won’t join protests — Umahi – Newstrends
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Hardship: Why S-East won’t join protests — Umahi

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Hardship: Why S-East won’t join protests — Umahi

Works Minister David Umahi has stated that inhabitants of the Southeast have no reason to join other areas to protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over rising costs of living in the country.

Umahi stated that the President had ended the region’s ongoing farmer/herder tensions.

He stated that such fights exacerbated the area’s insecurity and hampered food production, resulting in widespread famine.

The minister stated this while speaking to reporters in his hometown of Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State.

Umahi explained that the high cost of living in the country was the cumulative effect of past administrations’ actions and inactions, which President Tinubu has started solving through policies and programmes.

The minister said the Tinubu administration favoured the Southeast greatly through appointments to key positions, including himself, the first Minister of Works from the Southeast.

He said the administration has been doing many projects in the region, adding that with all these, the Southeast has no moral justification to join those protesting against the President over the high cost of living in the land.

Umahi urged residents of the region not to be lured by any group or other regions to join any protest against the President.

The former Ebonyi State governor described last week’s protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as unhealthy and unreasonable.

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He urged fellow Nigerians to be patriotic and shun any act that could.

“The present hunger that everybody is talking about didn’t start today. It’s a built-up to a number of factors. Before the past administration and present administration, we had been having a build-up of insecurity. We had farmers/herders clashes over a number of years…

“At a time, I was the Chairman of NEC committee on resolving farmers/herders clashes. So, I went through a number of states, especially the northern states, settling the farmers/herders clashes, and it yielded a number of fruits.

“That problem dealt a huge blow to food production. The issue of kidnapping and the issue of insecurity prevented farmers from going to their farms because here we are talking about hunger.

“And so, you expect the administration of President Tinubu to fix all those things within nine months? It’s not possible. It’s a cumulative effect of the past, like I have mentioned. We should be asking ourselves: how do we solve these problems? That’s what the President has started doing. When something has got to the climax, you don’t expect to resolve it overnight.

“If you check very well, especially in the Southeast, you will know that we no longer have incessant farmers/herders clashes. So, why should we join the protest when the President has solved our major problem? The problem we now have in the Southeast is self-inflicted. That is the issue of unknown but known gunmen.

“So, if we are protesting, who are we protesting against? We are protesting against a President that has solved herders/farmers clashes. If you remove the issue of unknown gunmen, the Southeast will be completely safe and farmers can work. So, we can’t go and join anybody to protest.”

Hardship: Why S-East won’t join protests — Umahi

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Currency in circulation now N4.8tn – CBN report

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Currency in circulation now N4.8tn – CBN report

Currency in circulation has reached an all-time high of N4.8 trillion as of November 2024, recording over seven per cent increase from the previous month.

Also, currency outside banks grew significantly in the same month hitting an all-time high of N4.6 trillion from the N4.2 trillion in the month of October.

These figures were contained in the money and credit supply data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The currency in circulation is the amount of cash–in the form of paper notes or coins–within a country that is physically used to conduct transactions between consumers and businesses.

It represents the money that has been issued by the country’s monetary authority, minus cash that has been removed from the system.

Similarly, currency outside a bank refers to cash held by individuals, businesses and other entities that is not stored in banks.

The currency outside the bank represents about 96 per cent of the currency in circulation.

Nigerians have in recent times been facing acute cash shortage with banks limiting daily withdrawal at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to N20,000 irrespective of the number of accounts held by an account owner.

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According to the latest data, the currency in circulation grew by seven per cent to reach 4,878,125.22 from 4,549,217.51 in October.

Currency in circulation has grown steadily in the outgoing year 2024 with over one trillion naira added to cash in circulation after starting the year with N3.65 trillion in January.

In February, the currency in circulation slightly increased to N3.69 trillion representing an increase of N43 billion or 1.18 per cent from the January figure.

March also saw an appreciable increase to N3.87 trillion while it further increased to N3.92 trillion in the following month of April.

The growth trajectory continued in May with the currency in circulation increasing slightly to N3.97 trillion, an increase of N42 billion or 1.07 per cent while it reached an all-time high of 4.04 trillion, an increase of 2.11 per cent from May.

The July figure also rose marginally with the currency in circulation settling for N4.05 trillion before growing to N4.14 trillion in August and N4.43 trillion in September and N4.5 trillion in October.

In the same vein, currency outside banks grew from N4.2 trillion in October to N4.6 trillion in November, showing increasing preference for other means of storing outside bank deposits.

Economist, Dr. Paul Alaje attributed the development to the expanding money supply, adding, “Money supply is expanding but this may not necessarily be in cash. As it is expanding, it will necessarily induce inflation. But you can’t blame the people. People must look for money. How much was bottled water last year, how much is it today? All of this will induce inflation. If you now ask, what is the cause of inflation? Is it money supply itself or a devaluation policy? It is a devaluation policy. Money supply is an offshoot. So the Central Bank is raising interest rates to actually reduce money supply but the more they try the more money supply expands.”

He stated that the floatation policy of the CBN has created inflation, adding, “It is like chasing one’s tail and I don’t know if you are going to catch it.”

Currency in circulation now N4.8tn – CBN report

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Tinubu not telling Nigerians the truth, says Sule Lamido

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu not telling Nigerians the truth, says Sule Lamido

President Bola Tinubu has been accused of not being forthright about the true state of Nigeria under his administration.

Former Jigawa State Governor and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, Sule Lamido, made the accusation while speaking on the BBC Hausa programme Gane Mini Hanya.

Lamido criticized both Tinubu and former President Muhammadu Buhari for what he described as a lack of transparency in governance.

“Buhari’s and Tinubu’s governments are not being transparent with Nigerians unlike during the time when PDP was in power where everything was transparent and open to all Nigerians,” Lamido said.

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He accused the two administrations of relying on propaganda rather than providing citizens with accurate information.

Lamido also expressed concerns over President Tinubu’s recent loan requests, questioning the logic behind them. “If Nigerians are being told the truth then there is nothing wrong with that, but how would you budget N30tn, generate N50tn and then request loan when you have a surplus of N20tn,” he said, referencing last year’s budget.

He described the situation as “reckless” and “selfish,” adding, “This recklessness and clear-cut selfishness is not done anywhere in the world, but yet you find (some) Nigerians supporting it. Visit social media and see how APC is being criticised, being referred to as calamity, yet you find some protecting it.”

Tinubu not telling Nigerians the truth, says Sule Lamido

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Nigeria Customs Service begins 2025 recruitment [How to apply]

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Nigeria Customs Service begins 2025 recruitment [How to apply]

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the commencement of its recruitment exercise, assuring Nigerians that the process is entirely free and fair.

The agency has cautioned the public to be vigilant against scammers who may attempt to exploit unsuspecting applicants during the recruitment period.

Applications are invited for positions in the Superintendent, Inspector, and Customs Assistant cadres as part of the Service’s plan to recruit 3,927 officers in 2025.

This initiative is aimed at enhancing trade facilitation and supporting Nigeria’s economic recovery efforts.

“Our recruitment is entirely free and fair. At no stage do we charge fees. Anyone requesting payment is a scammer,” the agency emphasized, urging applicants to be wary of fraudulent schemes.

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The NCS outlined eligibility criteria, stating that applicants must be Nigerian citizens by birth, possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN), and have no criminal record or ongoing investigations.

Academic qualifications for the three cadres are as follows:

Superintendent Cadre: A university degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) along with an NYSC discharge or exemption certificate.

Inspectorate Cadre: A National Diploma (ND) or Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) from an accredited institution.

Customs Assistant Cadre: At least an O’Level certificate (WAEC or NECO).

In addition to these qualifications, the NCS stressed that all applicants must be physically and mentally fit, providing evidence of medical fitness from a recognized government hospital.

Nigeria Customs Service begins 2025 recruitment [How to apply]

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