NEWS
Onanuga Fires Back At Atiku Over #EndBadGovernance2024 Protests Comments
The raging #EndBadGovernance2024 agitation has pitched former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a war of words.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 election had taken to X to caution against use of ‘lethal force’ against #EndBadGovernance2024 protesters.
The presidential spokesman reacted sharply to Atiku labelling him ‘a supporter and enabler of the destructive’ ongoing nationwide ‘sinister’ agitations.
He stated, “As a supporter and enabler of the destructive ‘protests,’ Alhaji Atiku wants the sinister protests to continue despite the street’s red signals. A tweet that condones the destruction of private and public property and citizens’ investments is unexpected from a former vice president of Nigeria.”
ALSO READ: Atiku Pens Stern Warning To Service Chiefs On #EndBadGovernance2024 Protests
In addition, Onanuga would have none of that, preferring that Atiku ought to have shown himself a statesman by cautioning “the looting mob in Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Jigawa states, who hijacked what was advertised by organisers as a peaceful protest”.
Citing instances of how leaders across political divides in the United Kingdom (UK) rallied against protests, Onanuga averred that “Alhaji Atiku ought to have risen above the sentiment he expressed and put the interest of our country’s stability ahead of whatever advantages he hoped to reap from the insurrection on our streets.”
Onanuga wrote, “Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar this evening tweeted the absurd, warning security agencies against using lethal force against looters and arsonists who masqueraded as protesters. As a statesman, his warning ought to have been issued to the looting mob in Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Jigawa states, who hijacked what was advertised by organisers as a peaceful protest.
“Our security forces have remained professional and even-handed and observed every restraint in the face of extreme provocation by the rioters. We are surprised that Alhaji Atiku is still relying on Section 40 of our constitution (as amended) to justify a protest that is now clearly a riot, a rampage in some parts of the country. Section 45 of the constitution says the right of assembly and freedom of expression are not absolute rights. They can be abridged and fettered in the interest of public peace, safety, law, and order. The Service Chiefs reiterated the rights of Nigerians to protest and gather freely. They, however, reinforced their constitutional duty today when they said they can not sit by idly and watch hoodlums destroy the country and its democracy.
“The Service Chiefs, officers, and men of our security outfits should be commended for their patriotic duty to our country.
“As a supporter and enabler of the destructive ‘protests,’ Alhaji Atiku wants the sinister protests to continue despite the street’s red signals. A tweet that condones the destruction of private and public property and citizens’ investments is unexpected from a former vice president of Nigeria.
“Alhaji Atiku ought to have risen above the sentiment he expressed and put the interest of our country’s stability ahead of whatever advantages he hoped to reap from the insurrection on our streets.
“We encourage Alhaji Atiku to adopt a more nationalistic approach that transcends personal interests and focuses on the greater good of our nation. He should take a cue from opposition figures in the United Kingdom who have rallied behind the government to condemn the ongoing riots in the UK, calling for the arrest and prosecution of those behind the wanton destruction of public and private assets. Such a nationalistic temperament, as displayed by opposition figures such as Rishi Sunak, the immediate past Prime Minister of the UK, is expected of Alhaji Atiku.
“If Alhaji Atiku had followed this approach, he would have given hope for a united front against the destructive protests.”
NEWS
Adeleke Approves Adeyemi’s Appointment As Chairman, Governing Council, Osun State College of Education
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has approved the appointment of Akinyele Sarafa Adeyemi, as the new Chairman of the Governing Council of the Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun.
This was detailed in a statement in Osogbo on Friday by Spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed.
ALSO READ: Adeleke Sues For Constitutionality Over PDP’s Chairmanship Crisis
According to Rasheed, Adeyemi replaces Dr Peter Babalola who resigned his appointment after a controversial tenure at the College of Education.
He stated that “Adeyemi who holds a first and Masters degrees in Education from the University of Ibadan is a retired principal of the Federal Girls College, Ipetumodu.”
It was gathered that the swearing in ceremony for the new Council Chairman holds by 10am on Monday at the EXCO lounge.
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.
Read Also: NLC Accuses Tinubu Of Sabotaging Minimum Wage With Fuel Hike
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.
Read More: Fuel Pricing Should Serve Public Interest, Not Profit — Yemi Adeoye
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
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