Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 2nd November, 2024.
1. Edo Govt Confirms Naija News Exclusive Story, Says EFCC Plans To Cripple Govt, Governance
The Edo State Government has confirmed the detention of the State Accountant General, and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This is coming 24 hours after Naturenex exclusively revealed that the EFCC arrested some Edo State government officials who are signatories to the state government accounts.
Sources disclosed on Friday that about five officials, including the Accountant General of Edo State, are being held at the Benin office of the anti-graft agency.
The sources revealed that the government officials were said to have been arrested on Thursday after they had been called in for a briefing.
Confirming the arrest in a statement to Naija News on Saturday, Edo State Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare said the anti-graft agency detained the officials to cripple governance in the state.
According to him, the Edo State Government, led by Governor Godwin Obaseki, runs a transparent and accountable Government.
2. Again, Makinde Speaks On 2027 Presidential Ambition As Adeleke, Ortom, Damagum Visit Oyo State
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has stated that he alone will decide the course of his political future, responding to speculation about a possible presidential bid in 2027.
Addressing recent claims that the ruling party is interfering with other political groups to stifle opposition, Makinde disagreed with such accusations, urging opposition leaders to focus on internal unity and collaboration to strengthen Nigeria.
He emphasized that the upcoming election would be a contest between the ruling party and the Nigerian people.
Makinde made these remarks during the inauguration of the newly constructed Olusoji Adagunodo Southwest Zonal Secretariat.
The event was attended by PDP Acting National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum, Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke, former Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), members of the party’s National Working Committee, and other regional leaders.
3. Petrol Price Hike: Stop Making Tinubu Look Bad – Doyin Okupe Fires Dangote, NNPCL, Marketers
Former presidential spokesman Dr. Doyin Okupe has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and oil marketers to avoid actions that could cast President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a negative light.
In a statement on Friday titled “Dangote Refinery, NNPCL, Oil Marketers, and the Voodoo of PMS Pricing,” Okupe urged oil industry stakeholders to consider the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.
He suggested that the current approach to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) pricing could create an impression that the government, which no longer directly controls petroleum prices, is to blame for price hikes, potentially tarnishing the president’s image.
Okupe expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in determining fuel prices, describing it as “a national embarrassment.”
He noted that PMS’s Free On Board (FOB) price at Rotterdam was $0.541 per litre, equivalent to about ₦927.82 at an exchange rate of ₦1,715 to $1.
He further explained that with a landing cost of ₦978 per litre in Lagos, locally refined PMS should benefit from reduced freight costs, which save approximately ₦85 per liter.
Consequently, Okupe argued, “No local refinery should sell above the FOB price at Rotterdam, minus freight savings of N85, which totals ₦842.83 per liter.”
The former Director-General of the Peter Obi 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Okupe, challenged NNPCL, the Dangote Refinery, and oil marketers to dispute his calculations.
4. Tinubu Pledges To Tackle Banditry, Kidnapping, Urges Citizens’ Support
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to eradicate banditry, kidnapping, and other criminal activities across Nigeria.
Speaking at the 9th Convocation of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, in Katsina State on Saturday, Tinubu emphasized that the government alone cannot overcome these challenges, urging citizens to actively support security efforts.
Represented by Prof. Abdulkarim Mohammed, Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State, Tinubu highlighted the critical role of public cooperation, noting that citizens can aid security operatives by providing vital information that would strengthen the nation’s security framework.
He further urged Nigeria’s youth to take advantage of the Nigerian Loan Scheme, which has so far disbursed over N70 billion to support their ventures and aspirations.
Tinubu underscored that effective governance requires collective action from government leaders and Nigerians, who, he said, are integral to the nation’s progress.
5. Dangote Refinery Debunks Allegation Of High Petrol Price
Dangote Refinery has described the allegation of selling Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, at N1,015 and N1,028/litre, as fake news.
Naturenex recalled that Oil marketers had on Friday said the price of petrol produced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery stood between N1, 015 and N1, 028/litre, stressing it would be reasonable to import the product from the international market as the landing cost stood at N978.01/litre as of October 31, 2024.
Marketers expressed plans to import petrol and sell it below Dangote’s refinery prices as well as those of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Data from the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria revealed that as of October 31, 2024, the landing cost of petrol stood at N978.01 per litre. Diesel and aviation fuel had landing costs of N1,069.97 and N1,119.67 per litre, respectively. Landing costs represent the unit prices of imported fuels upon arrival in Nigeria.
Despite requests for transparency, Dangote Refinery has not publicly disclosed its petrol prices. However, an anonymous source among major marketers confirmed to The PUNCH that Dangote sells bulk purchases at N1,015 per litre and smaller quantities at N1,028.
6. #EndBadGovernance Protest: ‘Fainting By Minors Deliberate And Scripted’ – IGP
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has asserted that the fainting of six suspects in court on Friday was a deliberate act intended to draw negative attention to their arraignment.
Speaking through a statement signed by Force Spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, Egbetokun insisted that medical aid was promptly provided, emphasizing the police’s commitment to the welfare of those in their custody.
The suspects, most of whom appeared malnourished and included minors, were part of a group of 76 individuals arraigned in Abuja in connection with the August #EndBadGovernance protest.
Six of them reportedly collapsed before the proceedings, drawing a wave of criticism from both domestic and international observers. Following their arraignment, the court granted each minor bail set at N10 million.
7. ‘The Poor Condition Of Nigerian Roads Breaks My Heart’ – Peter Obi
The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has decried the poor state of many Nigerian roads.
Peter Obi said the condition of roads across the country and the situation it puts Nigerians in their daily activities breaks his heart.
The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party stated this in a statement on Saturday while recounting his experience attending a condolence visit in Edo State.
8. Minors Trial: How Do You Expect Them To Pay ₦10 Million? – Gov Bala
The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has condemned the trial of minors who took part in the August hunger protest and the stringent bail conditions they must meet to regain freedom.
Governor Bala Mohammed decried that poor and hungry children who exercised their rights to peaceful protest were being tried and put in a worse condition by the government.
The Bauchi State Governor expressed his displeasure in a statement in Hausa on his Facebook handle, “ArewaMuFarka,” on Saturday.
“How do you expect a person who is unable to feed himself three square meals a day to bail himself in the sum of ₦10 million as surety?” Mohammed said.
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum also condemned the inhuman treatment meted out to the minors three months before their arraignment.
He noted that the poor look of the minors while in court on Friday showed they lacked food and were dejected while in Police custody.
9. Church Has To Be Dismantled In Nigeria – Peter Obi
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has declared that politics and the church must be dismantled in Nigeria.
Naija News reports that the former Governor of Anambra State made this known in a snippet of the Honest Bunch Podcast with media personality, Nedu.
According to Peter Obi, politics and church are attractive but have to be dismantled, and night vigil should be turned into the night shift so that people can be productive.
He said, “It’s attractive, politics and church, but it has to be dismantled.
“We are going to turn night vigil into night shift so that people can be productive.
“I go to church and believe in God but we can’t have it that people Monday to Friday, be in church morning and night.
“If I go from here to my house, the only sign boards you see are those of churches.
“If you go to the East, it’s burials and that’s not a country.”
10. 2027: “It Is Better For Us To Fight Each Other Inside Government House Than Outside” – Gov Adeleke Tells PDP Members
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has urged the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unite and get the party back to winning ways in future elections.
Speaking on Saturday at the commissioning of the South West Secretariat of the PDP at Ibadan, Governor Adeleke appealed for party members to close ranks, forget grievances and work for the success of the party.
He appealed that PDP members should work together in memory of the late zonal Vice Chairman, Soji Adagunodo, after whom the building was named.
