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Northern elders, economists advise Tinubu on how to end protests

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PFIPC Scandal: Tinubu Orders Forensic Probe as ICPC Uncovers Multiple Fake Agencies
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Northern elders, economists advise Tinubu on how to end protests

Economic and financial experts have listed what the Bola Tinubu administration should do immediately to bring to an end the on-going nationwide protests.

In separate chats with Saturday Sun, the experts recommended that the government subsidise cost of food items, reduce the cost of governance, and ensure greater transparency in the distribution of palliatives, among other measures, to alleviate citizens’ concerns and prevent further damage.

The 10-day planned protest which began on Thursday, primarily against rising cost of living and hunger, has escalated to violence, destruction of property and loss of lives in many parts of the nation.

An economist and development expert, Aliyu ilias, said: “I think first and foremost, President Bola Tinubu should address the country. He should come up with a template of what he wants to achieve in the next one year, especially the provision of CNG. Most people are shouting hunger. It is because of the cost of transportation. If he cannot bring back fuel subsidies, he must make sure that a workable template for CNG buses is in place and all the state governors must come out and explain what they will use the money from federal government allocations to do.

“Tinubu should also rejig his cabinet by reappointing a minister of Humanitarian Affairs and also removing ministers that are not functioning well. There must be a correct template to serve Nigeria. If not, this will turn into a revolution and there is nothing he would be able to do about it.”

Prof. Femi Saibu, a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Lagos, said that it is not enough for the government to simply provide palliatives; it must also ensure that these resources reach those who genuinely need them.

Saibu pointed out the existing gap between government expenditures and their actual impact on the populace, noting that it is important to flush out political intermediaries who continue to hijack public interventions for their own gain.

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According to him, “It is like the more the government spends, the more the people complain of poverty or hardship. So it means the middlemen between the masses and the government are actually not allowing those things to trickle down. The Federal Government pays state governments billions of naira to alleviate the sufferings of people. Most of these people hold on to these monies while people are feeling pains and the government is having empty purses.”

He further advocated for more investment in basic infrastructure that will help improve the lives of citizens.

“Rather than giving cash to people, the government should provide basic things that people need. For instance, the government should spend heavily on health facilities, spend heavily on education, and invest directly in agriculture.

“Today the government said it has paid a lot of money to people as palliatives, but we have not seen anybody claiming they got the money. They said they gave each state several millions of bags of rice. Have you seen the bag of rice in anybody’s house?”

The economist advised the federal government to devise a new means of doing things. He said the federal government should use leaders of local communities to reach the people instead of state governors. On his part, Economic Consultant at Dynamo Consulting, Brume Nikoro asked elected leaders to cut down government wastage.  He recommended empowering small scale Industries and start-ups with interest free loans and encouraging the Agricultural and Technology industries with programmes and initiatives.

In his view, lawyer and rights activist, Kabiru Akingboolu said the police authorities should ensure their personnel handle protests with civility.

He emphasized that the current widespread hardship across the country calls for a government response that goes beyond mere rhetoric.

According to Akingboolu, the government must address the nation with concrete actions to alleviate economic difficulties and prevent further unrest. He said government should also invest significantly in agriculture to boost food production. He also cautioned that prolonged protests could escalate, referencing the #EndSARS movement as a lesson in managing civil unrest.

In support, lawyer and rights activist Maduka Onwukeme added, “The government should address the protesters’ key concerns, particularly the issues of widespread hunger and inflation. Meeting these demands could lead many genuine protesters to leave the streets. Hunger fuels unrest, and negotiating with a hungry population is impractical. Effective measures to tackle these issues are crucial.”

Northern elders in a press statement signed by Prof Usman Yusuf, Hajia Najatu Muhammad, Mallam Salihu Lukman; and Dr. Umar Ardo, said the government should be pragmatic in its approach to the resolution of the crisis to amicably resolve  and mitigate the risks associated with mass protests.

The elders asked the government to identify and directly engage with the youth leaders and protesters to understand and address their grievances.

They told the government to sincerely address the demands of the protesters by implementing meaningful reforms, demonstrating goodwill and a commitment to change by investing in youth development programmes, education, innovation, entrepreneurship initiatives,as well as implement policies that would enhance general economic development of the country.

They further urged the government to improve governance by enhancing transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in governance against personalised leadership, tackling corruption and ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens.

Political and economic analyst, Mustapha Hussain Olarewaju noted that while the government claims to have removed fuel subsidies, the estimated landing cost of petrol exceeds N1, 000, indicating that subsidies persist under different names.

“The floating exchange rate is driving costs higher, leading to widespread inflation,” Olarewaju stated.

He called for stabilization of fuel prices to alleviate the financial burden on citizens, as the current situation reflects a cost-push inflation scenario rather than a demand-driven one.

Olarewaju, criticised the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recent monetary policies, particularly the increase of the monetary policy rate (MPR) to 26.25%. He argued that this approach targets demand reduction rather than addressing the root causes of inflation.

Olarewaju emphasised that to combat cost-push inflation effectively, the government should increase expenditure to stimulate productive activities instead of tightening monetary policy.

Northern elders, economists advise Tinubu on how to end protests

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Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries, Orders Arrest Over Fake Agency in SGF Office

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August 22, 2026

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Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries, Orders Arrest Over Fake Agency in SGF Office
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries, Orders Arrest Over Fake Agency in SGF Office

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered the “National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office,” which allegedly operated without presidential approval within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The President has ordered the immediate arrest of the agency’s promoter and the suspension of three top civil servants.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries and directed the arrest of the promoter of a newly uncovered fake government agency operating within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). The discovery was announced on Friday by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, during a briefing with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The illegal entity, identified as the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, was found to have been allocated office space within the OSGF complex without presidential authorisation and in violation of existing regulations. The ICPC chairman explained that the discovery was made during the commission’s broader investigation into the earlier uncovered fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other procedural weaknesses in the public service.

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According to Aliyu, the fake agency was promoted by Prince George Buchi Nwabueze, who was found to have allegedly operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan, George Nathan Nwabueze, Honourable George Buchi Nwabueze, and George Nwabueze. The investigation also uncovered the alleged involvement of suspected collaborators within the OSGF who may have facilitated the agency’s operations.

Following the ICPC’s briefing, President Tinubu directed the immediate arrest of Nwabueze and the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Engineer Nadungu Gagare, and Richard P. Pheelangwah. The ICPC has engaged with officials of the OSGF to gather vital information regarding the unauthorised office, and the investigation remains active.

The latest discovery comes barely weeks after the exposure of the fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), whose self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, is currently facing prosecution over allegations of forgery and impersonation. An interim ICPC report submitted to President Tinubu on August 6 had also identified two other fictitious bodies: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership. With Friday’s announcement, the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office becomes the fourth fake agency uncovered by the anti-corruption commission in connection with the scandal since early April.

The ICPC chairman commended President Tinubu for directing a forensic audit of government processes and a wider policy audit of federal ministries, departments, and agencies, describing the move as a proactive step towards strengthening governance and closing loopholes that could facilitate abuse within the public service. The investigation is expected to focus not only on the individuals behind the purported agency but also on the institutional weaknesses that allowed an unauthorised entity to gain access to federal government premises.

Tinubu Suspends Three Permanent Secretaries, Orders Arrest Over Fake Agency in SGF Office

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N3.14 Trillion Spent on Electricity Subsidy in 31 Months – FG

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August 22, 2026

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N3.14 Trillion Spent on Electricity Subsidy in 31 Months – FG

N3.14 Trillion Spent on Electricity Subsidy in 31 Months – FG

The Federal Government says the massive spending shielded consumers from the full impact of tariff hikes, but critics question the value amid persistent blackouts and plans to phase out subsidies by 2027.

The President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has disclosed that it spent N3.14 trillion on electricity subsidies between June 2023 and December 2025, according to figures contained in its latest economic reform scorecard. The government said the intervention was designed to protect electricity consumers from the full effect of tariff increases as reforms in the power sector continued.

The electricity subsidy was among N30.64 trillion in additional spending pressures incurred by the Federal Government during the 31-month period. The figures were released by the Ministry of Finance following a presentation by Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

According to the ministry, electricity subsidy payments rose sharply from N177 billion in 2023 to N1.48 trillion in 2024, representing an increase of more than 740 per cent. By December 2025, the subsidy bill stood at N1.47 trillion, indicating a marginal 1.14 per cent decline compared with the previous year.

Other major spending pressures recorded during the period included N9.39 trillion for wage adjustments and minimum-wage increases, N9.37 trillion arising from the impact of exchange-rate movements on external debt servicing, and N6.47 trillion for strategic infrastructure projects.

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The government said it mobilised N20.4 trillion in additional resources to partly finance the increased expenditure. The funds comprised N5.43 trillion from the Federal Government’s share of estimated petrol subsidy savings, N3.12 trillion in additional revenues, and N11.85 trillion raised through incremental borrowing. Despite these resources, the government said there was still a funding shortfall of N10.24 trillion, which had to be accommodated within the existing revenue base.

Despite the substantial subsidy spending, electricity supply deteriorated during the same period. According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Federal Government incurred an electricity tariff subsidy of N358.32 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone. The subsidy bill averaged more than N119 billion per month as the government maintained its freeze on end-user electricity tariffs at July 2024 rates.

NERC explained that because electricity tariffs remain below cost-reflective levels, the government continues to subsidise the difference between the actual cost of power generation and the approved tariffs charged to consumers. Under the current Distribution Companies’ Remittance Obligation (DRO) framework, electricity generation companies invoiced the 11 DisCos a total of N689.72 billion during the quarter. However, only N331.40 billion was billed to the DisCos, leaving the government to cover the remaining N358.32 billion. The subsidy accounted for 51.95 per cent of the total generation invoice during the period.

The commission clarified that the lower subsidy payment in Q1 2026 did not result from the introduction of cost-reflective tariffs but rather from a decline in electricity purchased by the distribution companies during the quarter. According to the report, average available generation capacity fell by 17.45 per cent, dropping from 5,400.38MW in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 4,457.96MW in the first quarter of 2026. Total electricity generation also declined by 9.64 per cent to 8,883.47GWh.

The subsidy disclosure has drawn criticism from organised private sector groups. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) questioned the impact of the N15.8 trillion in petrol subsidy savings and criticised the N3.14 trillion electricity subsidy, saying it appeared to contradict the logic behind electricity tariff reforms and highlighted the high power costs that continue to burden businesses.

NERC has warned that the current subsidy regime leaves the Federal Government exposed to uncertain and potentially rising financial obligations. “The open-ended nature of the subsidy exposes the FGN to indeterminate subsidy obligations due to volumetric risk and changes in generation costs arising from changes in the generation mix, particularly with an increase in thermal generation,” the commission stated.

The disclosure comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s plan to gradually withdraw electricity subsidies from 2027. In July, Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power, said the government had no immediate plan to increase electricity tariffs, explaining that subsidy payments would be gradually phased out from next year while ensuring that Nigerians continued to benefit from existing arrangements. “I promise you, next year, by God’s grace, we will put a stop to this so-called subsidy in the power sector,” Tegbe said.

The government has also proposed establishing a Power Consumer Assistance Fund (PCAF) , established under the Electricity Act 2023, as the preferred mechanism for delivering targeted subsidies directly to vulnerable electricity users. The initiative is designed to channel financial support through consumers’ electricity accounts or other verified identity-linked platforms, improving transparency in subsidy administration while boosting investor confidence in the sector.

However, analysts note that ending the subsidy without imposing another sharp tariff increase will require widespread metering, lower transmission and distribution losses, improved collections, reliable supply, and targeted protection for poorer households. The government is also working to clear debts owed to power generation companies, with GenCos reportedly owed about N6.5 trillion and receiving only about 35 per cent of their monthly invoices.

In April 2024, NERC raised electricity tariffs for Band A customers from N66 to N225 per kilowatt-hour. The affected consumers were expected to receive at least 20 hours of electricity daily, while the adjustment was projected to reduce the government’s subsidy burden by about N1.14 trillion in 2024. Despite this adjustment, the subsidy bill for 2024 and 2025 combined still reached nearly N3 trillion.

N3.14 Trillion Spent on Electricity Subsidy in 31 Months – FG

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100 Days in Captivity: Borno Families Beg Tinubu, Zulum to Rescue 78 Abducted Students

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August 22, 2026

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100 Days in Captivity: Borno Families Beg Tinubu, Zulum to Rescue 78 Abducted Students
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

100 Days in Captivity: Borno Families Beg Tinubu, Zulum to Rescue 78 Abducted Students

Parents and community leaders say the children were taken from their schools while writing exams and deserve to come home alive—warning that Nigeria cannot allow mass kidnappings to become “normalized.”

Abuja, Nigeria — It has been 100 days of “sleepless nights, tears and fear” for the families of 78 students abducted in Borno State. On Friday, parents, community leaders, and concerned citizens gathered at the National Assembly to issue an emotional plea to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Babagana Umara Zulum: bring our children home.

The appeal, made under the theme “Bring Our Children Home: 100 Days of Horror, Pain and Suffering Is Enough,” highlighted two separate mass abductions that have left communities in Askira-Uba, Lassa, Buratai, and along the Chibok route traumatized.

“We stand before you today with broken hearts, but also with determination and an urgent demand: Bring our children home,” the group told journalists.

The 78 students were taken in two coordinated attacks on schools in Borno State—one of the regions hardest hit by Nigeria’s ongoing insurgency and banditry crisis.

On May 15, 2026, 42 pupils and students of Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area were abducted. According to Senator Ali Ndume, the abductees included four students of Government Day Secondary School, 28 primary school pupils, and 10 children taken from their homes. The school is located on the fringes of Sambisa Forest, a known stronghold of Islamist militant groups.

Then, on June 29, 2026, tragedy struck again. Thirty-six students of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, were taken while writing their NECO examinations. The Borno State Police Command confirmed the attackers, suspected to be ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), shot sporadically and abducted students. Reports indicate the gunmen wore military and forest guard uniforms to gain access. One teacher was killed during the attack, and students and women selling food within the school premises were also abducted.

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Beyond the school attacks, the families are also demanding the rescue of 38 persons kidnapped along Buratai Road to Maiduguri, as well as several other residents seized along the Chibok route and other vulnerable roads across the state, underscoring the widespread insecurity plaguing the region.

The families drew attention to a recent success story to bolster their plea: the rescue of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, who were taken on May 15 and rescued on July 10—just 56 days later—through an intelligence-led operation. “If it could be done in Oyo, it can be done in Borno,” the group said, adding, “We are not demanding preferential treatment, but equal protection under the law.” They warned that allowing the Borno abductions to drag on unresolved would send a dangerous signal that mass kidnappings are becoming normalized in Nigeria’s security crisis, a fate they are determined to resist.

The group presented a clear list of seven demands to President Tinubu and Governor Zulum. They called for immediate rescue operations for all Mussa and Lassa students, as well as the rescue of the Buratai Road victims and others abducted along the Chibok route. They also demanded regular updates to families on rescue efforts, increased protection for schools and highways, a sustained intelligence-led operation by all security agencies, the deployment of all available security resources to ensure safe return, and full coordination between state and federal security agencies. “We recognise the enormous security challenges confronting our nation. But the continued captivity of innocent children and civilians cannot be allowed to become another unresolved case,” they said.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has met with parents of the abducted children and assured them that President Tinubu personally directed security agencies to ensure the safe recovery of the pupils. Zulum conveyed the President’s sympathy to the affected families and said authorities would deploy every necessary effort to bring the children home safely. However, with 100 days already passed, families are growing increasingly desperate. The Borno State Police Command had earlier deployed security operatives to comb the forest for the Lassa students, but no breakthrough has been announced, leaving families in agonizing uncertainty.

The abductions highlight the persistent security challenges facing northern Nigeria, where mass kidnappings for ransom and ideological purposes have become alarmingly frequent. Sambisa Forest remains a refuge for militant groups, schools have become soft targets for attackers, and rural communities feel abandoned by security forces. This sense of abandonment is compounded by the fact that over 100,000 police officers are reportedly assigned to VIP protection, leaving ordinary citizens vulnerable. The families ended their plea with a powerful warning: “We cannot allow the passage of time to reduce the urgency. Their lives matter. Their education matters. Their families matter. Their future matters.”

As the 100-day mark passes, pressure is mounting on both the federal and state governments to act decisively. The families have vowed to continue their advocacy until every child is returned safely. For now, the nation watches—and waits—to see whether Nigeria’s security apparatus can rise to the occasion and bring these children home.

100 Days in Captivity: Borno Families Beg Tinubu, Zulum to Rescue 78 Abducted Students

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