metro
Updated: Fuel queues return to Lagos as IPMAN insists on N180/litre
Many motorists had difficulty buying fuel in Lagos on Monday after queues resurfaced in many parts of state as Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) shut down their operations.
They insisted on selling the product at N180 per litre as they claimed the current official price of N165 per litre was no longer profitable and unrealistic.
Chairman of IPMAN at Lagos Satellite Depot, Ejigbo, Mr Akin Akinrinade, confirmed the development to newsmen in Lagos, saying the members took the decision because they could no longer operate at a loss.
He said while the government had fixed N165 per litre as the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), the current realities in the market showed that the minimum the product should be retailed at the stations should be N180.
According to him, the current scarcity being witnessed in Lagos is because majority of petrol stations in the state are owned by IPMAN members who are finding it difficult to operate in a hostile environment.
He said, “As you can see, the queues are back and this is the second time we are witnessing it this year.
“However, this one is peculiar in the sense that for a particular reason, IPMAN members decided to shut their stations.
“This is not because we are on strike, but because we can no longer do business under this condition.”
Akinrinade said IPMAN members ought to be getting supply from the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) and had made payments of over N1 billion since October 2021.
He said the products were yet to be delivered forcing members to patronise private depots for products while at the same time servicing loans borrowed from banks for their money with PPMC.
Akinrinade said, “Now, these private depot owners have increased the ex-depot price of the PMS from N148.17 to N162 per litre. That is the amount they are selling to us.
“When you factor in the handling charge, transportation and running cost of our stations, you will see that even within Lagos, the minimum we can retail petrol is about N180 per litre.
“We want Nigerians to know that IPMAN members are patriotic citizens and we are not out to sabotage the effort of government because we know this hike in petroleum products prices is not peculiar to Nigeria.
“The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted the supply chain and the Nigerian government is doing its best to mitigate its impact on our nation.”
He, therefore, urged the government to direct the private depots to revert to the old ex-depot price for the PMS or deregulate the downstream sector to allow market forces determine the price.
Akinrinade also advised the government to expedite action on the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries in order to increase the domestic refining capacity.
He called for the resumption of pumping products through the PPMC Ejigbo depot, which would enable IPMAN members get supply at a cheaper cost.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored the fuel situation at Oshodi, Ejigbo, Ikeja, Egbeda and Ikotun areas observed that majority of the filling stations were not selling petrol.
Long queues were seen at the few stations selling with both private and commercial motorists complaining about the situation.
A motorist, Mr Godwin Eke, told NAN that the return of fuel queues was not good for the economy.
“We are spending hours here queuing to buy fuel when we could have been doing something more productive with our time.
“I have not been to my shop since morning because I want to fill my tank, which will last me for the week,” he said.
A commercial bus driver, Mr Aliyu Dawodu, said the scarcity was not good for business, especially as the drivers could not increase their fares.
However, Mr Ayorinde Cardoso, Zonal Operations Controller, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, advised the public not to engage in panic buying.
“There is sufficient fuel at the depots and jetties. As at today (Monday) we have a total of 234,920,127 litres of PMS in various depots in Lagos.
“In addition, we have four vessels in Lagos jetties discharging 186,753,650 litres of the PMS,” he said.
metro
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.
The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.
“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.
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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.
Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.
The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.
After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.
“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.
Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.
The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
metro
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
Musa Adamu Aliyu, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has stated that the Commission is understaffed and under-resourced. Aliyu says this is limiting the commission’s efficiency.
According to a statement on the ICPC website published on Wednesday, Aliyu made this known on Monday while presenting the Commission’s performance scorecard to the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes.
“Currently, we have 21 state offices, but they are severely understaffed and under-resourced, which affects our efficiency nationwide,” he said.
Aliyu mentioned that the ICPC suffered from inadequate funding, which hampers the pursuit of investigations, legal proceedings and public education efforts.
Cases involving politicians, where external influences can challenge the impartiality and integrity of investigations, are also some of the challenges bedevilling the ICPC.
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Aliyu cited slow court processes as one of the factors preventing the swift resolution of corruption cases and undermining public trust in anti-corruption efforts.
“Our work requires diverse expertise, from forensic analysis to psychology, yet rising living costs make it increasingly difficult to maintain high morale among staff. Reviewing salaries and welfare benefits is essential for sustainable productivity,” Aliyu said.
“Additionally, ICPC personnel face security risks, especially during high-stakes investigations, making it critical to provide them with adequate security measures similar to those granted to other agencies.
“We urge you to consider the Commission’s requests for adequate funding to strengthen operational resources. Such support will enable us to pursue a more effective, inclusive, and resilient fight against corruption in Nigeria.”
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
metro
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, has disclosed how rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, had approached him, seeking his blessings to become the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, a plea he turned down.
Wike said Adeyanju who became jobless on account of the rejection has now become an emergency activist, using every opportunity to attack the FCT Administration under him.
The minister spoke on Wednesday evening during a live media chat in Abuja.
Adeyanju who had recently attacked Wike for allegedly concentrating development on the city centre, an allegation that has been severally denied by the Administration, with video and pictorial proofs.
Adeyanju also last week led a protest against Wike over the demolition of Ruga, a settlement along Metro line corridor in Wuye District.
Reacting, Wike said; “I saw one young man, they call him Adeyanju. He is from Kogi State. This young boy came to me that he wants to be the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP and I said ‘No’..
“I said he won’t be, and he was not. I have no regrets about it. He has suddenly become a civil society activist. He has no job and that is why he decided to turn to a civil society activist”.
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Shortly after the live media chat, Adeyanju had posted on his Facebook page that he was too busy with clients that he would not be making any response until Friday. He however did not explicitly mention the Minister’s name but rather used expletives.
Wike had on Sunday vowed to go ahead with demolitions of shanties and illegal structures in the territory, saying government will not succumb to blackmail by few individuals who would rather that the status quo be maintained.
Wike who had held an emergency security council meeting on Sunday evening had in company of the security chiefs and journalists visited the Ruga community in Wuye District where town planning officials and security personnel had earlier gone on clearance operations.
There were reports that a handful of the squatters had protested alongside a lawyer, but spokesman of the community, Abba Garu conceded that they were illegal squatters and that previous administrations had carried out at least 22 demolitions of the area but the people always returned.
While he noted that the community was a mini-Nigeria as it had people from different tribes, Garu begged the administration for compassion.
In response, Wike asked him to nominate four other members of the community to meet with officials of the administration in order to come up with a humane solution.
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
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