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BREAKING: Restructure Nigeria now, Afenifere tells Tinubu *Condemns Miyetti Allah’s Fulani militia
Nothing short of immediate commencement of the process for the restructuring Nigeria, would assuage the feelings of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, who sees the move as the only way Nigerians could enjoy a safe and free society that has eluded them over the years.
It was also on the same day the body, which met in Akure, Ondo State, home of Reuben Fasorantin, its retired leader, railed against the establishment of the 1,144-member vigilante group unveiled recently by the Miyetti Allah Hore in Nassarawa ostensibly to provide security for Fulani herders, insisting that as a non-state actor, the body had no powers to do so.
The group, in a communique, shortly after, said: “Members at the meeting condoled the people of Ondo State over the demise of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. The meeting also congratulated the people on the inauguration of Otunba Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa as new Governor of the state, just as participants lauded President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his roles in resolving the earlier impasse following the call by Ondo State Elders, under the auspices of Pa Fasoranti to do so.
“Participants expressed shock over the blast that occurred in Ibadan on Tuesday, January 14, 2024 and condoled with the government and people of Oyo State over the unfortunate incident. They also commiserated with the people of Plateau State over the attack on their communities by terrorists.
“The meeting deliberated on issues affecting the organization, Yoruba land and Nigeria as a whole. Among the issues discussed were the state of the nation with particular reference to the socio-economic and security situations in the country. Restructuring as a means towards a new lease of life and a better Nigeria was also discussed.
“The meeting resolved that there is an urgent need to rework the security architecture of the country to ensure that Nigerians are able to live and move about without the fear of being kidnapped or harassed in any way. Such reworking should include giving states and local government councils that so desire to establish own police services with all the requisite powers to function as such. Doing so would check, if not totally stop, the incidences of kidnapping and sundry banditry now ravaging the land.
“The unfortunate blast in Ibadan clearly underscores the need to allow the federating units in the country to control mineral resources in their respective areas with particular reference to mining and exploration. The reasoning behind this was that had it been that states were in control of mining for instance, Oyo State government was likely to know how explosives were being moved around. Such would have made last week’s horrendous blast that claimed many lives, traumatized hundreds of people and destroyed properties running into Billions of Naira would have been prevented.
“To facilitate the issues above, Afenifere again reiterated that the time for restructuring the country is now. It therefore urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set the machinery in motion for the purpose. The organization took note of the fact that the President, a known democrat and federalist would not hesitate to do things that will quicken the country’s quest for true federalism in which people would have self-determination within the context of one nation that is genuinely democratic and federal.
“The meeting took note of the report that Miyetti Allah Hore set up a 1,144-strong Nomad Vigilante militia in Nassarawa ostensibly to provide security for Fulani herders. Afenifere was of the opinion that Miyetti Allah, being a non-state actor, should not have power to do a thing like that. It therefore considered the action of the Department of State Security (DSS) to checkmate Miyetti Allah on the issue as timely and in order.
“The meeting expressed the hope that President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda would be giving the necessary push so that life can be easier for the people of Nigeria. Among the means of achieving this are taking steps that would strengthen the value of our currency, the Naira, reduce costs of energy (fuel in particular) through local production of petroleum products as well as regular supply of electricity.
“In view of the current high cost of living, Afenifere urged the Federal Government, through its various organs in charge of finance and fiscal policies, to accelerate actions that will strengthen the value of our currency, enhance productivity, reduce costs of items and services all geared towards reducing inflation and enhancing the welfare of the people.
“The meeting renewed its call on governments in Yoruba speaking states to further encourage the teaching and usage of Yoruba language in schools. This can be done by making the language the medium for teaching at elementary and lower level of secondary education as well as making it compulsory for students at school certificate examination level. It also urged parents and guardians to teach their children the language as well as encourage its usage as much as possible both in verbal and literary communications,” the communique added.
Fuel marketers across Abuja on Wednesday continued to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, at old prices more than 24 hours after Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced a reduction in its ex-depot price, Vanguard is reporting.
The paper reported that its investigation, showed that major retail outlets were yet to adjust their pump prices despite the N75 per litre reduction announced by the refinery on Monday.
At the retail stations visited in Abuja, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Retail and TotalEnergies dispensed petrol at N1,335 per litre, while AA Rano sold at N1,350 per litre. AYM Shafa and Conoil outlets sold the product at N1,330 per litre.
The development comes amid growing public expectations that the reduction in Dangote Refinery’s gantry price would quickly translate into lower pump prices nationwide.
Explaining the delay, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, said retail prices are influenced by several factors beyond refinery gate prices.
Speaking to Channels TV, Gillis-Harry said: “Prices reflecting at the pump are dependent on availability of the product, the other is the cost. The cost of purchasing the product and cost in terms of logistics, and preparing the particular petroleum to be delivered to the people”.
According to him, downward price adjustments often take longer to reach consumers because marketers need to recover the cost of existing stock purchased at higher prices before restocking at lower rates.
When asked why increases in fuel prices are usually reflected immediately while reductions are delayed, Gillis-Harry said the dynamics of supply management play a significant role.
He explained: “It is mainly affected by whether the producer has additional resources or not at the time. Increases in prices are mainly caused by the need to restock. There must be that advantage pushing the price upward to be able to pay for new supplies.”
He further acknowledged that marketers generally seek to exhaust existing inventory before implementing lower prices.
“That’s the basic idea. But in petroleum, a mixture is involved, and loss is taken, though not in a way that affects the capital needed to restock,” he added.
Also speaking on the issue, energy analyst Olabode Sowunmi said fuel pricing in Nigeria is influenced by a combination of domestic supply arrangements and logistics costs, rather than crude oil prices alone.
He noted that although international crude oil prices remain an important factor globally, their impact on local petrol pricing is not always direct.
“Global price of crude oil is a factor internationally and not necessarily in Nigeria,” Sowunmi said.
Explaining that Dangote Refinery operates under arrangements that allow a portion of crude supply to be priced in naira, reducing the direct impact of international market fluctuations on local fuel prices, he said: “So basically the issue will have to be from the point of refinery to where it touches the final person. Logistics costs within the domestic supply chain remain a major determinant of the final pump price paid by consumers.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
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