Only enemies of Nigeria will rubbish Dangote refinery, students leadership declares – Newstrends
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Only enemies of Nigeria will rubbish Dangote refinery, students leadership declares

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2 months ago

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Only enemies of Nigeria will rubbish Dangote refinery, students leadership declares

Students across tertiary institutions in the country under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have passed a vote of confidence on the Dangote Refinery describing the recent demarketing of the world’s largest single train refinery by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) as the greatest disservice to the nation’s economy.

The students’ position came amidst alleged efforts by management of the NNPCL to induce the students’ body’s leadership with $250,000 to dissuade it from going ahead to declare support for Dangote Refinery in the current spat between the refinery and NNPCL.

Speaking after a tour of the Refinery facility yesterday in Lagos, leaders of the students’ body comprising of those from Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, said it would take an enemy of Nigeria to rubbish the gigantic project that would stop importation of fuel once and for all and save the nation of the scarce forex. 

The NANS Senate President, Akinteye Babatunde Afiz addressing the management of the Dangote Refinery said they had the mandate of Nigerian Students to come and assess the situation of the refinery having been told that the refinery was uncompleted and inferior in all standards. 

He said: we had a meeting on the situation in the country vis a vis the uncertainty in the oil and gas industry, especially the current fuel scarcity and we resolved to visit Dangote refinery to see things for ourselves, having gone round the facility, our heart melted at the humongous size of the refinery.

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“We are speaking the minds of all Nigerian students that Government should direct all marketers to patronize Dangote refinery and ease the current fuel hardship. If anyone wants to compete with Dangote let them go and build their own. Government has four refineries and they are not working yet they don’t want the one that is available to sell. We will not accept that. 

“Dangote Refinery has come to stay. We have discovered that all claims being bandied around are false. Our impression is that they never expected the refinery to stand, that is why they are against you. But we are pledging our resolve to stand by you. 

“We have seen the refinery laboratory and we could see that it is world class. We can’t allow this type of project that holds great potential for Nigeria’s economy to go down through some people’s disdain for the success of Alhaji Aliko Dangote.” He then urged the government to do all possible to support Dangote Refinery and protect it from saboteurs. 

Earlier, The Vice-President, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin while welcoming the student leaders to the Refinery thanked them for the concern for the facility ad the resolve to stand for the truth by rejecting the monetary inducement.

He told the students that President Tinubu has intervened and commended the President for the directive for crude to be sold to Dangote Refinery in Naira currency, saying it is a good development for all Nigerians. 

Edwin said the concern of the students was well placed as all Nigerians should be worried indeed because abut 90 percent of Nigeria forex goes into importation of fuel and that Dangote Refinery could help solve the problem as 43 percent of its capacity production could satisfy domestic demand while the remaining will be exported to generate more forex into the country. 

Wondering why anyone would want to frustrate the refinery, Edwin noted “So much has been spent on the government refineries and there was nothing to show for it as they remained moribund. 

“What we want to do in Refinery, we have done it other businesses, Nigeria used to be the biggest importer of Sugar, we came in and change the narrative. We led the backward integration scheme of the federal government, and we now produce sugar locally for domestic consumption and others have joined us. We did same in Cement by opening up production plant and today Nigeria exports cement to other countries. 

“In a business no one was interested in investing into, Dangote delved into it determined to ensure Nigeria no longer imports fuel, invested massively and come up with the world’s largest single train refinery.  He said he would not take his money to Dubai or Swiss banks as others are doing, he decided to invest at home and now they are saying he wants to create monopoly. 

“We didn’t ask for any favour other than that we want to buy crude to produce, first they said there was no crude, later they said we would have to pay some dollars above the prevailing crude market price. And this is a global market where you can track crude prices anytime. We resorted to buying crude from Brazil and United States. Later they said we should not be announcing the price of the products. 

“Even the US that is the leading proponent of free market economy protects its local industries by imposing huge duty on from foreign imports just to protect local industries. This is a man that Saudi Aramco once approached to come and cite hie refinery in Saudi Arabia, promising steady supply of cruse. Abu Dahbi also invited him to do same on their soil but he rejected insiting he would build at home, now he did that and a facility that is supposed to add value to Nigeria’s economy is being frustrated.” 

The Dangote Industries boss said the Company would continue to focus on its business strategy which is to add value to Nigeria economy through investments and job creation for the teeming Nigerian masses. 

Only enemies of Nigeria will rubbish Dangote refinery, students leadership declares

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Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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6 hours ago

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September 16, 2024

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has described President Bola Tinubu as an epitome of wealth with no interest to loot Nigeria’s resources.

Olawande stated this while speaking at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch in Abuja.

The minister also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the president, noting that in no distant time there will be positive changes.

He said, “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of the citizens will be transformed.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper; he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria.”

Olawande continued, “He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury.”

He emphasized that the administration is putting in efforts to transform the lives of Nigerians through various policies of the federal government.

Olawande thanked the staff of the ministry for being supportive of the government policies and assured them that their welfare will not be compromised.

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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September 16, 2024

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 32.15% in August 2024 down from the 33.40% recorded in July 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.25 percentage points.

This represents the second consecutive monthly slowdown in inflation after easing in the previous month.

This is according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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However, on a year-on-year basis, the August 2024 inflation rate was 6.35 percentage points higher than the 25.80% rate recorded in August 2023, indicating a significant increase over the past year.

On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in August 2024 stood at 2.22%, slightly lower than July’s rate of 2.28%, signaling a slower pace in the increase of the average price level compared to the previous month.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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September 16, 2024

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six young men in a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City with fake letterheads, stamps, and forged signatures belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chieftains.

The young men, who were apprehended with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.

Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.

These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.

A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.

“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.

“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.

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In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.

“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.

“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.

Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.

“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.

“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.

A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.

“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.

The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.

Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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