NEWS
Protests Will Yield No Positive Outcomes, Sudanese Cleric Tells Nigerians
Ambassador Al-Mustapha Bala Assudany, a prominent Sudanese cleric, has urged Nigerian youths to reconsider their plans for nationwide protests against economic hardship, warning that such actions could lead to negative outcomes.
Recall that amid escalating inflation and economic challenges, a group of Nigerians has scheduled protests from August 1 to August 10.
Despite appeals from the government, religious leaders, and traditional rulers to call off the demonstrations, the organizers remain resolute.
During a pre-huduba sermon at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna, Assudany cautioned that protests could play into the hands of those seeking to destabilize the nation.
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Drawing on his experiences in Sudan, he recounted how similar protests in his country eventually sparked a civil war.
Assudany suggested that external forces might be inciting Nigerian youths to protest, mirroring the situation in Sudan, which resulted in significant bloodshed and turmoil.
He urged Nigerians to heed the lessons from Sudan’s history to avoid actions that could jeopardize the nation’s peace and stability.
He cited Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan as examples of countries that experienced devastation stemming from initially peaceful protests.
Ambassador Assudany noted that currently, 2 out of every 3 Sudanese citizens have abandoned their homes and fled the city centers, with many seeking refuge in other countries due to ongoing conflict.
He said “Before they started talking about the planned protest in Nigeria, it happened in some Muslim countries like Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, and Sudan. I’m a Sudanese citizen and what happened in Sudan was the same thing that happened in other Muslim countries.
“When I heard about the planned protest in Nigeria, I felt as a Muslim I should share the experience of what I saw in Sudan and what happened in other Muslim countries.
“Economic hardship was responsible for all the protests witnessed in those countries. That was what led people to protest in Sudan, thinking a solution would come through protest.
“Those that started were Sudanese citizens in an attempt to draw the attention of the government to end their hardship. But the opposition groups that were against the government penetrated them because every government has opposition. This was what led to the chaos in the country.
“Some foreign countries also took advantage of the protest and came into the country. They were the ones sponsoring these youths and supporting them. This led to regime change in the country but despite that there was no peace in the country.
“Many people thought after the regime changed there would be peace in the country but it turned out to cause more chaos across the country. As we speak, Khartoum, which is the capital of Sudan, has been completely destroyed and the residents fled.
“The war spread to other parts of the country. There was crisis everywhere, people being killed in villages, women raped, kidnapped, and sold as slaves in foreign lands. This is why I’m calling on Nigerians, especially the youth, not to allow themselves to be used by the enemies of the country to destroy their country. This is because nothing good will come out of the protest but destruction.
“This is because Nigeria has bigger challenges compared to us in Sudan because in Sudan majority of the citizens are Muslims and yet are killing themselves, what about Nigeria with tribal, religious, and ethnic differences? What do you think will happen if after the regime change? Do you think there will be somebody that can caution the youths against future protest?”
The Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for Civil Servants has confirmed that the newly approved minimum wage will be implemented starting July 29, 2024.
This was disclosed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) issued at the conclusion of the committee’s meeting in Abuja on Friday.
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The MoU reads, “The National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission (NSIWC) will prepare and release the necessary salary templates for other consolidated salary structures. The implementation date for the new wage will take effect from July 29, 2024.”
The committee, comprising 16 members, was set up to oversee the execution of the National Minimum Wage Act of 2024. This legislation raised the country’s minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
Among its key responsibilities, the committee is tasked with negotiating salary adjustments across various sectors and developing a template for implementing the newly approved wage structure.
With the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popular in the streets as petrol, hovering around approximately N1000-N1300 per litre, concerns are mounting about the viability of fuel subsidies in Nigeria.
Energy policy analyst, Adeyemi Adeoye, has underscored the critical role of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) in this issue, shedding light on who bears the subsidy costs.
He shared his views on TVC News on Friday.
Biztellers reports that the pump price of petrol has risen from below N200/litre at at May 29, 2023 to around N1300/litre as at September 20, 2024, with little variations depending the part of Nigeria, consumers are buying from.
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He stated, “Only the NNPC can engage in negotiations of this nature. Their partnership with the Dangote Refinery gives them leverage to negotiate from a position of strength.”
Adeoye highlighted that while the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and other marketers lack significant influence over prices, the Dangote Refinery prioritizes profitability.
According to him, this makes the NNPC’s negotiations vital, as they are legally required by the Petroleum Industry Act to ensure fuel availability across the country and prevent long queues at gas stations.
Adeoye said, “It is only NNPC that could have gone into that type of negotiation because NNPC is coming to the table from a position of strength because they have a partnership with the Dangote Refinery, and they have other businesses they are supplying crude to, so they can come and say, ‘Look, this has to be this way.’
“The IPMAN and the other marketers cannot do that because Dangote is a profit-making organization; it is not a charity organization. So, the only thing that is important to the Dangote Refinery is to make a profit, which is the same thing that is important to any business.
“So, the NNPC went into these negotiations because it also understands that it is the last resort. In terms of fuel distribution in the country, NNPC is mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act to make sure that there are no queues in the country. So, even if they don’t want to do it, the law mandates NNPC as the supplier, the last resort, to make sure that there is petroleum product across Nigeria.
“That negotiation is such that NNPC took all the calculations in and said, ‘This is a fair pricing that we know we can withstand.’
“Because what NNPC was paying out, which you might call a subsidy or under-recovery, NNPC was paying the difference on behalf of the government, which is under the directive of the president, who has also said he wants to see this situation totally resolved.
“That was why he directed the NNPC to make sure that crude oil to the Dangote Refinery is sold in Naira, because NNPC produces the crude in dollars, and it has to be sold to the Dangote Refinery in Naira, which is good faith.” he added
Ukraine has implemented restrictions on Telegram for government, military, and security personnel, citing national security threats associated with the app, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov.
The National Security and Defence Council announced in a statement on it’s Facebook page that these limitations will affect all government agencies, military units, and critical infrastructure facilities.
The council emphasized that this measure is essential for protecting national security.
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It reads, “The National Security and Defence Council decided to restrict the use of Telegram in government agencies, military formations and critical infrastructure facilities. It is a “matter of national security.”
More to follow………….
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