News

Reps Raise Alarm Over Plot To Sink Nigeria Through Fuel Subsidy

Published

4 years ago

September 20, 2022

… says Nigeria subsidising for neighbouring countries

NNPC extends DSDP to avert fuel scarcity during Christmas.

THE House of Representatives on Monday raised the alarm over alleged plans to sink the country through the controversies trailing the fuel subsidy regime.

Chairman, House ad hoc committee investigating the subsidy regime between 2013 and 2021, Honourable Ibrahim Mustapha, disclosed this while responding to the submission of the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, who averred that Nigeria is subsiding West African countries.

While responding to a question on the huge allocation of petrol to states near border towns, the NNPC helmsman lamented that previous efforts made by the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to install Acquila facility with a view to forestalling illegal transportation of PMS across illegal border failed.

He, however, said: “If you have N5 million, you can cross the borders with trucks laden with PMS and that is the bitter truth: we have porous borders; yes, we have the Customs service but I do not know.

“PMS crosses anywhere to Cameroon through the North-East, Nigerian petrol gets to Upper Volta, Mali; our neighbouring countries hardly import petrol; in fact, some of them do not have the LC cover to back up imports.

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“Cameroon refinery got burnt sometime last year or so, since that time, they have not imported petrol and then, still using the product. If you go to Niger, you find that petrol is sold in bottles just like Coca-Cola because, to them, it is a cheaper source why waste their foreign exchange? So, we are subsidising for our neighbours, that is the simple truth.”

In a swift response, Honourable Mustapha said: “There is a committee set up by the seventh Assembly that investigated subsidy. And, in the report of that committee, it was established that 31.5 million litres of PMS were being consumed daily as of that time; that was in 2012.

“Now, in comparison with the figure we are having before us here, 66 million plus litres, one will wonder what increase of consumption is it that within 10 years, we have over 100 per cent increment. How can we justify it?

“For a layman like me, if I say 1,500 trucks were discharged from various depots into the country, it will at least take those trucks five to 12 hours to arrive at their final discharge point and then, it will take more hours to discharge.

“So, how come that these trucks will discharge and return same day and also be able to load to maintain the 64 or 66 million consumption daily?

“And the second issue, if you look at this your table, gasoline price across West African countries per naira per litre. Maybe you will help a layman like me that probably we are simply subsidising for the West African region. Even in Niger Republic, it is sold for N536; in Mali, N577; in neighbouring Benin, N389; in Ghana, N589 and in Togo, N470. In Chad, N362 and in Cameron, N423, whereas the landing cost plus incidentals, profit and whatever as you projected here is N462 in Nigeria and we subsidise it to N162 or N165 or thereabout.

“Don’t you think we deliberately choose to sink the country for the benefits of others? What justification can we say we have to justify this to Nigerians? These are some of the key issues we will like to hear from the horse’s mouth.”

Speaking earlier, the NNPC helmsman, who painted a gory picture of how oil theft and pipeline vandalisation plagued the industry, disclosed that the country, which produced 2.3 million barrel per day before COVID-19, currently produces between 1.2 million and 1.6 million barrel per day, against 1.8 million barrels per day approved by OPEC.

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Noting that the joint venture partners are entitled to about half of the total production, some of the partners, he said, have declared force majeure, with ExxonMobil shut-in, while Shell has also signified plans to follow suit.

Kyari, who was represented by the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr Umar Ajia, said: “We have about 1.6 billion litres incoming, land and marine. This is what is the minimum level we have to maintain, especially as we approach winter. Most of the refineries that we procure are actually shutting down their operations because of the clamour for green energy and COP26 compliance.

“Even gas that is transition fuel for us is being given eight years. Of course, we do not agree. When you look at PMS outlook, we want be closing each and every month with a two billion closing stock. That is the only way you can sustain petroleum so that a marketer do not see some slack and take advantage by begin to hoard product that create, artificial scarcity which can lead to queue.

“There is a huge arbitrage for anybody to move product to outside. We are not saying that the bulk of the product is smuggled. The reality is that there is no study to validate the actual consumption. What we are reporting daily is what the authority, which is the regulator, publishes. They are represented at every depot in Nigeria.

“Exchange rate has been moving steadily from N195.5 to now N390.6 to a dollar, on average. The subsidy scheme is two ways, the fx subsidy and price.

“The shipping cost has doubled, therefore the landing cost of PMS has moved from N87 per litre in 2015 to about N327.68 per litre today. When you compare it to what we sell, you have a N209 on every litre. When you multiply the N209 per litre with an average of 66.7 million litre, you are talking about N3.4 trillion subsidy for the year.

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“The reality today is that if one were to take statistics of the number of vehicles in Nigeria, how many Keke NAPEP do we have? How many pumping machines do we have? On a routine visit, I saw nothing less than a million keke. Take an average that each one uses four litres every day, that is four million litres, one city.

“We have not done a study to validate; people are saying that we are evacuating 66 million a day. That is the reality. Some days, what is evacuated can go as much as 100 million a day, while some weekends, we do zero. The marketers are watching.

“States like Oyo and Ogun states even consume more than Lagos State, so you wonder. Is it that they have more vehicles than Lagos? This explains that these are states with porous borders and that will explain why this bulk evacuation is going out of Oyo and Ogun states, probably neighbouring countries.”

He also informed the lawmakers that the company resolved to extend the Direct Sales Direct Purchase (DSDP) contract, which was billed to end in August 2022, in order to avert fuel scarcity in December and during the 2023 general election.

“It is a very dangerous period to begin to re-tender for that because we are facing the winter. These are the difficult ‘embers months’ that we normally avoid fuel scarcity,” he said.

Before resorting to a closed-door session, Mustapha had directed some subsidiaries, including Duke Oil and NNPC Retail Limited, to appear on Thursday with relevant documents.
Tribune

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News

NiMet Predicts Thunderstorms, Rain Across Nigeria Till Wednesday

Published

11 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

NiMet Predicts Thunderstorms, Rain Across Nigeria Till Wednesday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms and rainfall across several parts of Nigeria from Monday to Wednesday.

The agency, in its weather outlook released on Sunday, also warned that strong winds could occur ahead of thunderstorms in some areas.

For Monday, NiMet expects thunderstorms and light rain over parts of Taraba and Kebbi during the morning. Later in the day, moderate rainfall is expected across several areas in the North-East, Kaduna, Taraba and Kebbi.

In the North-Central region, parts of Niger State could experience thunderstorms and light rain in the morning, while most parts of the region may record thunderstorms with moderate rainfall by afternoon or evening.

The southern states are also expected to experience wet conditions. NiMet forecasts cloudy skies in the morning, with isolated thunderstorms and light rain over parts of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. More thunderstorms and light rain are expected later in the day.

Tuesday and Wednesday Forecast

On Tuesday, the northern region is expected to have patches of cloud in the morning, with thunderstorms and light rain possible in parts of Taraba.

By afternoon or evening, most parts of the region could experience thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rain.

In the North-Central, parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Nasarawa and Plateau states are expected to receive thunderstorms and moderate rainfall later in the day.

Southern areas, including parts of Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and the South-South, may also experience thunderstorms and light rain.

NiMet expects more widespread rainfall on Wednesday, particularly across northern and North-Central states. Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba are among the areas listed for morning thunderstorms and moderate rain.

The agency also forecasts thunderstorms and moderate rainfall across much of the South later on Wednesday.

NiMet advised residents to secure loose objects and take precautions against strong winds. Motorists were urged to avoid driving during heavy rainfall, while residents were advised to disconnect electrical appliances during thunderstorms and stay away from tall trees.

Airline operators were also advised to obtain airport-specific weather information when planning flights.

NiMet Predicts Thunderstorms, Rain Across Nigeria Till Wednesday

News

Working People United Celebrates Oluremi Tinubu at 66, Commends Her Humanitarian Efforts

Published

11 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu

Working People United Celebrates Oluremi Tinubu at 66, Commends Her Humanitarian Efforts

Civic organisation Working People United has congratulated Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on her 66th birthday, praising her contributions to humanitarian services, education, healthcare and the empowerment of vulnerable Nigerians.

Oluremi Tinubu celebrates her 66th birthday on Monday, September 21, 2026, with messages of goodwill coming from individuals and organisations across the country.

In a congratulatory message issued on Sunday, National Coordinator-General of Working People United, Prince Williams Akporeha, described the First Lady’s years of public service as an important part of her contribution to Nigerian society.

Akporeha said the organisation recognised Oluremi Tinubu’s continued involvement in programmes designed to improve the welfare of children, women, young people and underserved communities.

He particularly highlighted her advocacy and interventions in education, healthcare access, youth development and economic empowerment, saying such initiatives were directed at addressing challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians.

According to the group, the First Lady’s humanitarian activities have focused on providing practical support to communities and creating opportunities for people who might otherwise have limited access to social and economic resources.

Working People United also commended Oluremi Tinubu’s interest in family welfare and children’s development, describing those areas as important to the long-term development of the country.

The organisation said efforts to strengthen access to basic education and healthcare, particularly at the grassroots, remained critical to improving the quality of life of Nigerians.

It also praised initiatives aimed at providing young people with skills and economic opportunities, noting that youth empowerment could help reduce vulnerability and expand participation in the economy.

Akporeha urged the First Lady to sustain her advocacy for vulnerable Nigerians as she begins another year of her life.

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He said the organisation was joining Nigerians across the country to celebrate Oluremi Tinubu and acknowledge what it described as her commitment to humanitarian service.

Working People United wished the First Lady good health, wisdom, strength and fulfilment as she continues her public responsibilities and supports initiatives focused on the welfare of Nigerians.

The group also expressed hope that her birthday would provide an opportunity to renew attention to issues affecting children, women, young people and low-income families, particularly in education, healthcare and economic empowerment.

Oluremi Tinubu, a former senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, has been involved in public service and humanitarian activities for several years.

As First Lady, she has continued her intervention programmes through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), which has focused on areas including education, health, agriculture, social investment and economic empowerment.

Her recent programmes have included support for women, vulnerable households, students, farmers, young people and families affected by economic hardship.

The birthday messages therefore come as the First Lady continues her public engagements and humanitarian programmes across different parts of Nigeria.

Working People United Celebrates Oluremi Tinubu at 66, Commends Her Humanitarian Efforts

International

18 Suspects Transferred to US Over 2021 Killing of Haitian President Moïse

Published

12 hours ago

September 21, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

18 Suspects Transferred to US Over 2021 Killing of Haitian President Moïse

Eighteen suspects accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moise have been transferred from Haiti to the United States to face trial.

US officials said the suspects were transported to Florida on Sunday, as American authorities continue their prosecution of people allegedly connected to the plot.

Federal prosecutor Jason Reding Quinones said the suspects were flown from Haiti on a military aircraft to face proceedings in the Southern District of Florida.

He said US authorities had so far indicted 30 people in connection with the assassination and warned that the prosecutions were not over.

Among those transferred was Joseph Felix Badio, a former anti-corruption official with Haiti’s Ministry of Justice who has been identified as a major suspect in the investigation.

Haitian government and police sources said the other suspects included Colombian nationals who were allegedly part of the group involved in the operation.

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Colombian Nationals Among Suspects

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that 17 of its citizens had been transferred from Haiti to the United States.

The ministry said the Colombian government was monitoring the development but had not participated in the decision or process that led to the transfer.

Moise was killed at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021. Investigators said a group of about 20 Colombian military-trained mercenaries had been hired in connection with the operation.

The president’s security detail came under scrutiny after failing to prevent the attack.

In May, four men were convicted in a Miami federal court over charges connected to the plot, including conspiracy to kill or kidnap Moise and providing material support for the operation. They could face life imprisonment.

US prosecutors said the men were linked to CTU Security, a Florida-based private security company, and had allegedly been attracted by the prospect of lucrative contracts after Moise was removed from power.

The assassination plunged Haiti further into political and security turmoil. The country has since struggled with gang violence and remains without a president, while preparations continue for elections scheduled for December, subject to security conditions.