news
Update : Tinubu Releases N5bn palliative for each state, “The money will not get to the people,” Says Labour
The organised labour has knocked the Federal Government for releasing a N180bn palliative package to states to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress insisted that the governors could not be trusted, noting that politicians and not the poor would benefit from the N5bn largess given to each state government for disbursement to the citizens.
The Federal Government on Thursday announced an N5bn palliative for each state of the federation and 180 trucks of rice as part of measures to assuage the pains of the subsidy removal.
The policy, which led to sharp and multiple increases in fuel pump prices, has driven up the prices of goods and services, pushing millions of Nigerians into poverty and worsening the socio-economic situation in the country.
The development also triggered nationwide protests by organised labour which insisted on the repair of refineries as a precondition for the subsidy withdrawal.
But announcing the release of the palliative at the end of the 135th National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja, the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, disclosed that the N5bn was to enable the state governments to procure 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilizers to cushion the effect of food shortage across the country.
He added that considering the urgency in meeting the need to mitigate the skyrocketing food prices across the country, the Federal Government had last week released five trucks of rice to each state of the federation.
Shettima explained, “NEC met today and expressed serious concerns as regards increasing cost of food items, increasing cost of transportation amongst others as a result of subsidy removal. In order to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, the federal government released five trucks of rice to each state last week.
“Furthermore, in order to cushion the effect of food shortages across the country, the Federal Government has approved the sum of N5bn to be given to each state for the procurement of 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize, and fertilizers.
“This funding has to be shared with a formula as follows: 52 percent of this money is given to states as grants, while 48 per cent of the N5bn is to be paid back on an installment basis within a period of 20 months to the CBN by the states and the local government areas in Nigeria.
“The council commended the efforts of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Tinubu as well as the CBN. We have also commended the efforts of NEMA in cushioning the effects of the subsidy removal.
“Council has taken bold decisions in order to ensure speedy release of grains and other items in order to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on the less privileged in the society.’’
He noted that the council took bold decisions in order to ensure the speedy release of grains and other items for immediate distribution to the less privileged in society.
Shettima added, “The council has also taken note of the $800m loan and insists that it be strictly used for the intended purpose and based on an accurate and acceptable register. The $800m announced by the president will go to Nigerians in accordance with an accurate social register.
“Furthermore, the council has also noted the package that was announced by the President in order to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, amounting to about N500bn.
“This fund has to be distributed to the following sectors: MSMEs, industrial sector; about N125 billion will go for cash transfers, agricultural sector as well as gas expansion for buses.
“And because of the increasing cost of fossil fuel, the federal government intends to establish more gas stations in Nigeria and procure more gas-powered buses, CNG buses as well as electric buses.”
He said the council commended the efforts of the Federal Government and the CBN in addressing the current situation in the country.
In a bid to create a forum for dialogue towards resolving issues surrounding the petrol subsidy removal across the states, the NEC which is made up of governors of the 36 states, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other government officials, constituted an ad hoc committee to engage with the leadership of labour unions.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Vice-President, the committee comprised the Nigerian Governors Forum Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo; Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; PDP Governors Forum Chairman, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
The VP said the committee would liaise with the leadership of labour unions in the country to find a way forward on the emerging issues in the interest of the nation.
The council also received progress reports on the ongoing nationwide distribution of rice, grains, fertilizer, and other items to states and N5bn financial support, provided by the Federal Government and commended the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Emergency Management Agency for their interventions.
It also noted the various interventions by state governments and urged them to upscale the distribution of palliatives towards alleviating the suffering of citizens, especially vulnerable groups.
The statement read, ‘’During the meeting, details from some accounts of government were revealed such as Excess Crude Account from 19th July to 14th August 2023, $473,754.57; Stabilisation Account from 18th July to 14th August, N30,346,557,405.12 and Natural Resources Account from 18th July to 14th August 2023, N115,175,616,159.65.”
Similarly, the NEC assessed the state of the economy, particularly investment, and the forex crisis, among others.
It stated, “Investment inflows have dwindled since 2019, likewise the country’s investment/GDP ratio; Crude Oil exports and refined petroleum products imports dominate Nigeria’s trade structure; Nigeria’s Naira position against major trading currencies deteriorated; Weak FX supply and heightened demand for imports remains core drivers of exchange rate instability; market volatility persists despite recent FX alignment, driven by pressure on FX demand that widens the gap between official and parallel market rates due to inadequate supply and speculative tendencies; external reserves remain under pressure as external reserves fell by 8.3 percent from 37.1bn in January 2023 to 33.9 billion in July 2023.”
But reacting to the government’s interventions, the Assistant National Secretary-General of the NLC, Mr Chris Onyeka, wondered why the FG was releasing money to governors, many of whom he said had refused to pay the minimum wage.
He dismissed the palliative fund as paltry, noting that it would not get to the intended beneficiaries.
“The money will not get to the people, let them share the money as they want but what the NLC agreed with them were certain milestones. The NLC will close its eyes to what the Federal Government is trying to give to the governors.
“To us as far as we are concerned, NLC will still stick to the milestones that we have agreed on, we will insist that those things are discussed and implemented to the letter.’’
“When the Federal Government wants to subvert the instrument of dialogue, it intentionally creates problems. The Federal Government had already started engaging using this instrument when they engaged the NLC; for them now to go and sit down at the level of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and to go and pretend to give them money is a subversion of social dialogue, subversion of peace, and a subversion of democracy because it is not democratic.”
Speaking in the same vein, the TUC Deputy National President, Tommy Etim stressed that governors could not be trusted with the implementation of the palliative funds.
“It is one thing to make pronouncements, implementation is another thing. I am sure you remember what happened to the COVID-19 palliatives in 2020 when foodstuffs were stored in warehouses and kept from hungry citizens. Same thing with the issue of the Paris Club relief fund that some governors went to hide in the bank so that they could get some from it while citizens were starving.
“We need a body that will follow up on the implementation because left to the state governors, the palliatives may not get to places where it should get. We need a body that will make them accountable. We need the citizens to be aware. The body should let everyone know when each state gets its own relief (package). Everyone should know the details that are received by each state, how the packages were distributed,’’ he suggested.
Also, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the Federal Government was about sharing N2,000 and a cup of rice to poor people across the country.
He also stated that the governors could not be trusted, as most of them were not paying minimum wage, adding that no committee was established to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
Ajaero said, “N5bn multiplied by 36 states is going to give you N180bn. So if you divide that with the official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, which says that 133 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor, and calculate it, you will get about N2,000 each for those who are poor.
“That is the official statistics of the government, but you and I know that the actual figure is more than that. So is that what to celebrate? And then, five trucks or there about, of rice to a state. The poor people of these states cannot get one cup of rice. It will not go round.
“Even if you pick them from the poverty bracket, it will be difficult for them to get one cup of rice. Is that the best we can do? Is that the best approach to governance? So do we look at our people as people we should give one cup of rice and N2,000? Is that palliative?”
He said the government should be serious with governance that served the interest of the people.
“Who are governors you are giving it to? Is the governors who have not paid minimum wage? Is there any committee to ensure the effective disbursement of that which is very insufficient?.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Mr Erazua Oniha, was opposed to release of money to the states, pointing out that rehabilitating the refinery was a better idea.
He added, ‘’We feel repairing the refineries will be a better deal for all of us. The promise by the government to ensure that the Port Harcourt refinery is working is a deal for all of us, for me as an individual and a concerned citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because when you multiply the amount by the number of states, it can repair some of the refineries and solve all these problems.’’
The Nigeria Governors Forum could not be reached for comment on the allegations that state governors would frustrate the palliative programme made by the organised labour. Its spokesperson, Abduleazaque Bello-Barkindo, did not respond to calls and he had yet to reply to a text message on the issue as of the time of filing this report last night.
In acknowledgment of the current hardship brought about by his policy, the President has again appealed to Nigerians to bear the pains caused by the removal of petroleum subsidy, saying ’’the hardship of today will give way to a better tomorrow.’’
The Commander-in-Chief stated this at the public presentation of the autobiography of elder statesman, Edwin Clark, in Abuja on Thursday.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Tinubu urged Nigerians to be patient saying the palliatives being rolled out by the Federal Government would soon cushion the effect of the hardship.
He said, “Solutions to the challenges of subsidy removal are being churned out daily but they are not immediate. The hardship is but for a moment. Palliatives have been rolled out and more are still being rolled out and there is hope that tomorrow will be better than today.”
Akume noted that Dave Umahi’s appointment as the Minister for Works was an indication that “the President is a rewarder of those who work diligently in service to their people.’’
ICPC invites Dangote and ex-NMDPRA boss
Pushes ahead despite ex-CEO’s resignation
Raises panel, opens investigation on Monday
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has invited businessman, Aliko Dangote for more information in respect of his petition against the immediate past managing director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Alhaji Farouk Ahmed.
Dangote is expected to appear or send his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN) tomorrow when ICPC’s investigation of the petition formally commences.
The commission raised a panel of crack investigators on Friday to handle the probe,
The ICPC ,according to sources ,has asked Dangote to submit his evidence to the anti-graft agency.
Dangote had accused Farouk of corruption and misappropriation of funds, including spending millions of dollars on his four children’s education in expensive and exclusive schools in Switzerland.
The businessman accused Farouk of economic sabotage by undermining domestic refining by colluding with international traders and oil importers through the continued issuance of import licences.
Farouk has since resigned his appointment.
But the commission said it is going ahead with the investigation, Farouk’s resignation notwithstanding.
“All is set for the investigation, ” a well- placed source in ICPC told The Nation yesterday.
“ICPC has set up a panel of crack investigators on Dangote’s petition. The Chairman of the commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) asked the trusted team to stay action on a case and focus on Dangote’s petition. This underscores the importance attached to this case,” the source said.
“We have also invited Dangote or his lawyer to come on Monday to adopt the petition. “Either of them is to present relevant documents or evidence to support the petition.
“He who alleges must prove or provide lead on the allegations which our investigators must act on.
“We have acknowledged the receipt of the petition in line with our guidelines or mandate to do so within 48 hours.”
Continuing, the source said :”after formal adoption of the petition, we will isolate issues and ask Ahmed to respond to the allegations.
“We have been inundated with enquiries but I can assure you that ICPC will be fair to all the parties.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “The resignation of Ahmed does not affect this probe which is in the public interest.”
“Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act (ICPC Act 2000) makes it an offence for any public officer to use his/her position to confer an unfair or corrupt advantage on himself, his relatives, associates, or other public officers.Anyone found guilty of any such offence is liable to five years imprisonment without the option of a fine.
“The enabling law also stipulates harsh punishment for individuals deemed to have wasted ICPC’s time and resources by making malicious or frivolous petitions against others.”
In the petition submitted on Tuesday through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja SAN), Dangote demanded the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Farouk for allegedly living above his means as a public servant.
corruption threatens development
NITDA, ICPC launch joint task force to tackle corruption in government IT projects
He accused Farouk of “spending without evidence of lawful means of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children” in Switzerland.
The document named the children and their schools and provided specific amounts paid for verification.
“Engr Farouk Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income humongous amount of money of over $7million of public funds, for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront,” Dangote alleged.
“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement constitute gross acts of corrupt practices, for which ICPC is statutorily empowered under section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote added.
The cold war between Dangote and petroleum regulators had earlier sparked a N100billion suit.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE filed a N100 billion lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and others, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The refinery accused the regulator of granting licences to import refined petroleum products despite domestic production capacity.
It alleged that the action of the regulator has violated some sections of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, was discontinued in July 2025 by Dangote’s lawyers.
ICPC petition guidelines say: “Any person anywhere in the world may make a complaint against any other person (corporate or non- corporate) in Nigeria, where reasonable grounds exist for suspecting that such a person has conspired to commit or attempted to commit or has committed an offence under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Complaint/petition is made through oral/written report submitted through post, physically to any ICPC office in Nigeria.
A complaint made orally or by an illiterate shall be reduced into writing and read over to the complainant by an officer of the Commission.
The report shall set out details of the complaint , date, time and place where the offence was allegedly committed.
The complainant shall provide the names and addresses, phone number, email and other relevant information that may assist the Commission in locating the person or persons against whom the complaint is made.
The complainant shall state his/her full address, email or phone number or any other information that will assist the commission in contacting him/her, whenever necessary.
Reports can also be made online through any of the commission’s reporting platforms.
The commission shall acknowledge receipt of any petition within 48 hours.
Spokesperson of ICPC , John Okor Odey confirmed that the commission “received a formal petition on Tuesday, 16th December, 2025 from Alhaji Aliko Dangote through his lawyer. The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed. The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated.”
news
JUST IN : N2.2bn Fraud, Court Upholds Ngige’s EFCC Bail, Insists on Senior Civil Servant as Surety
The Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Thursday, granted a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to continue to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The trial judge, Justice Maryam Hassan, made the order while delivering a ruling in the bail application filed and argued on behalf of the former minister by his lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN).
Justice Hassan in the ruling directed Ngige to produce a surety who must be a director in the employment of the Federal Government and own a landed property.
Justice Hassan ruled that the surety is to deposit the title documents of the landed property, as well as his travel documents, with the court pending the time Ngige completes the retrieval of his own international passport.
The EFCC had previously granted Ngige bail on self-recognition and directed him to submit his travel documents to the commission, in addition to providing one surety.
news
Breaking : Tinubu Removes NMDPRA Chiefs Farouk, Komolafe Over Sabotage, Corruption Allegations; Names Replacement
The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, has resigned.
Similarly, his counterpart at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, has stepped down.
Based on the development, President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm new chief executives for the two agencies.
The President’s request was contained in separate letters to the Senate on Wednesday.
This was announced in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act.
According to the statement, Tinubu “has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.”
The statement noted that Eyesan, an economist and oil industry veteran, spent nearly 33 years at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries.
She retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy.
Mohammed, a chemical engineer and former Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, has also served on several energy sector boards.
He recently emerged as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.
“The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry,” the statement noted.
Ahmed’s resignation comes amid a high-profile conflict with Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, which drew national attention in December 2025.
The dispute arose from Dangote’s allegations that Ahmed and his family were living beyond their legitimate means, citing millions of dollars allegedly spent on overseas schooling for his four children.
Dangote petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate and prosecute Ahmed for abuse of office and corrupt enrichment, sparking a nationwide debate over regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
The NMDPRA chief dismissed Dangote’s claims as “wild and spurious,” insisting that he would rather defend himself before a formal investigative body than engage in public arguments.
The conflict, which traces its roots to 2024 when Ahmed criticised domestic refinery output—including Dangote’s refinery—prompted intervention by the House of Representatives, which summoned both parties to avoid destabilising the sector.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday evening met with the embattled Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, at the State House, Abuja.
The meeting came amid allegations of financial impropriety made by industrialist and President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, against the NMDPRA boss.
Dangote and Ahmed have been at odds for a while now over downstream petroleum regulation and the future of domestic refining in Nigeria.
At a press conference on Sunday at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote accused the NMDPRA, under Mr Ahmed’s leadership, of economic sabotage, alleging that regulatory actions were undermining local refining capacity.
He claimed that the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products was frustrating domestic refiners and deepening Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports.
The billionaire industrialist further alleged that the regulator was colluding with international traders and petroleum importers to the detriment of local operators, accusations to which the NMDPRA has yet to publicly respond.
Mr Dangote also made personal allegations against the NMDPRA chief, claiming that Mr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means.
He alleged that four of Mr Ahmed’s children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into several millions of dollars, arguing that such expenditure raised concerns about conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.
On Monday, Mr Dangote escalated the claims, accusing Mr Ahmed of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
He alleged that about $5 million was spent on the secondary education and upkeep of the children over six years, with an additional $2 million on tertiary education, including an alleged $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme for one of them.
The controversy deepened on Tuesday when Mr Dangote, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for Mr Ahmed’s arrest, investigation, and prosecution.
In the petition addressed to ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, Mr Dangote alleged that the NMDPRA chief “spent without evidence of lawful means of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children” in Switzerland.
The petition reportedly included the names of the children, the schools attended, and detailed figures for verification.
Mr Ahmed arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 5:30 p.m. and left the President’s office after less than 30 minutes.
He declined to speak with journalists as he exited the State House and offered no comment on the allegations or the outcome of his meeting with President Tinubu.
-
news5 years agoUPDATE: #ENDSARS: CCTV footage of Lekki shootings intact – Says Sanwo – Olu
-
lifestyle5 years agoFormer Miss World: Mixed reactions trail Agbani Darego’s looks
-
health5 years agoChairman Agege LG, Ganiyu Egunjobi Receives Covid-19 Vaccines
-
lifestyle4 years agoObateru: Celebrating a Quintessential PR Man at 60
-
health5 years agoUPDATE : Nigeria Records 790 new cases of COVID-19
-
health6 years agoBREAKING: Nigeria confirms 663 new cases of COVID-19
-
entertainment11 months agoAshny Set for Valentine Special and new Album ‘ Femme Fatale’
-
news7 months agoBREAKING: Tinubu swears in new NNPCL Board