COVER
Fuel Price: Oil Marketers Defy FG, Sell at N145
From Francis Ogar, Calabar, Joseph Amedu, Lokoja; Haruna Aliyu Usman, Birnin Kebbi, Jude Dangwam, Jos and Dan Amasingha, Minna
Two days after the Federal Government deduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as petrol from N145 to N125, some Independent marketers are yet to effect changes in the pump price.
DAILY ASSET, which monitored the development in Abuja and neighbouring states, reports that only major marketers like NNPC, had complied with the directives.
Marketers Adamant in Cross River
In Cross River state, our reported noted that no filling station in Calabar and its environs had reversed the pump price from N145.
A visit to some filling stations along Murtala Mohammed Highway, MCC Round About and Margaret Ekpo International Airport Road, showed that there was no compliance from either the major or independent marketers on the reduction of pump price.
Officials of these stations said that they still had enough stock and that it would take them up to two weeks before they exhaust the old stock.
However, DAILY ASSET observed that NNPC was completely empty without any tanker coming in from the Northern part of the country or east coming to lift products.
At the National Union of Petroleum Energy and Natural Gas Union (NUPENG) office, the National Treasurer Canaan David Otu told our reporter that NNPC and NUPENG were yet to meet over the new pump price regime.
DPR Mobilizes Enforcement in Kogi
The Department of Petroleum Resources in Kogi state has given an assurance that it will go into strict enforcement of the new oil pump price of N125 per litre as approved by the federal government.
The DPR also said that it will embark on massive sensitization and awareness creation on the need for all the Petrol Filling Stations across the state to comply with the new price as most of the stations visited by Our Correspondent in Lokoja, the state capital on Thursday still sells fuel to motorists at the old rate of N145 per litre.
The Head of Operation who also doubles as Controller DPR in Kogi state, Engineer Musimiu Odofin while speaking to Our Correspondent on the development, said “we are meeting right now to map pout strategies for proper enlightenment and swung into action today to enforce compliance. Both enforcement and sensitization must go together to achieve result”
Odofin said the monitoring operation entails working on the oil pumps by technicians as they are automated.
The DPR Controller also told Our Correspondent that his organization will work closely with the Media in its awareness creation to enable all the petrol filling stations obey the new approved price.
Kebbi Records Non-compliance
In what would have been a relief forced by the global fall in oil prices, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to slash the pump price from N145.50 to N125 per litre.
To access the level of compliance with the new pump price regime Kebbi state DAILY ASSET correspondent undertook a survey to find out the truth or otherwise of compliance by visiting petrol stations within the state capital and the local governments.
At Jantul PRY filling station in Birnin Kebbi when visited, the pump attendant confirmed that they have not complied because their “old stock is yet to finish so until they exhausted before they will revert to the new price”.
Is the same story of non-compliance at Alliance filling station in Birnin Kebbi, the litre still reads N145,the manager too was not around but the pump attendant refused to be recorded but confirmed they didn’t comply.
At AP 2, along Bello Way in Birnin Kebbi, visited also didn’t comply with the new pump price regime the pump attendant there declined to speak while the litre reads the old price.
At Oando filling station still along Bello way in Birnin Kebbi also didn’t comply and the manager was also not around when visited and the pump price is still the old with no comments from anybody, motorists met there also confirmed non-compliance off record but merely said may God help us.
NNPC Mega Station Jos Complies
The Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) Jos Mega Station has complied with the new directives in the reduction of premium spirit pump price from N143 to N120 per litter.
A visit at the Mega station located along Dogon Karfe road in Jos by our Correspondent reported that motorist was taken fuel at the new pump price.
Unofficial report at the DPR office in Jos shows that efforts are been made to embarked on the enforcement of the new price directive’s by President Muhammadu Buhari on all filling stations in the state.
It would be recalled that Nigerians wake up with the new development of a reduction in the price of premium spirit popularly called petrol in the country.
This is coming shortly after the global economy crashed as a result of the ravaging coronavirus which Nigeria has recorded 8 cases already.
Marketers Insist on Old Prices in Minna
Following the global crash of crude oil prices that necessitated the federal government to announce a reduction in prices of petrol, marketers in Minna, Niger state have refused to adjust their pump price.
DAILY ASSET correspondent in Minna gathered that the decision of the marketers may not be unconnected to their inability to receive directive from their head offices to effect the new price regime.
It was gathered that some of the marketers are also of the view that they can not afford to reduce the price of the product when they procured it at a higher price only to be sold at a lower price.
A Manager at one of the Con oil along Paiko road in Minna, who simply gave his name as Vincent said they are willing to comply if they receive directive from their headquarters.
“As am talking to you, we are yet to receive directive from the PPMC, the regulatory body to the new adjustment of prices, we are hearing it on the news like every Nigerian”, he said.
According to him, for any major marketer to fully comply they need to recalibrate their dispensing machines and this will take three to four days to effect.
However, at the mega NNPC service station along western by pass by Brighter schools, technicians were seeing busy with their machine propably to effect the new change of prices but, motorists that rush in for early morning school runs had procured the product at 143 naira per litre.
However, speaking on the federal, Alhaji Aliyu, a staff of FRCN Kaduna, popularly known as Jagaban Dude among his colleagues said it is a well development as it will ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.
“It shows that this government is sensitive to the suffering of Nigerians, nobody saw this coming and for them to announce it without any prompting shows sensitivity “
Labour Reacts
Some labour union leaders, who expressed their dissatisfaction over the reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from N145 to N130, said the Federal Government ought to have reduced it further.
The Deputy General-Secretary, United Labour Congress of Nigeria, Mr Chris Onyeka, said that the current crude price of 25 dollars per barrel was not reflective in the reduction to N130 per litre.
According to him, the impact of the reduction will be minimal on the citizenry.
“Any reduction in the price, not just for petroleum products, is a welcomed development.
“However, whether it is commensurate with the realities on the ground is another thing altogether.
“If there is more than 50 per cent drop in the price of crude, which constitutes almost between 60 and 70 per cent of the entire cost of PMS, then, we expect an equivalent impact on the price reduction.
“We believe the price ought to have been less than the N130. The 25 dollars should have an impact of probably between N60 and N70 per litre.
“That is the kind of reduction we expect,’’ Onyeka said.
Also, the Lagos State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mrs Agnes Sessi, urged the government to also reduce the prices of other petroleum products to cushion the effect on the citizens.
“We commend the federal government for the good step.
“However, the current price is still high, because a barrel is down to about 24 dollars and may still reduce.
“So, we are still expecting a further reduction in petrol price,’’ Sessi said.
On his parts, the General Secretary, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr Olawale Afolabi, who expressed worry and scepticism over the reduction, said that there were implications.
Afolabi said that NUPENG had advocated that deregulation in the oil and gas industry should be done based on local production of refined petroleum products and not on importation.
According to him, deregulation solely based on importation will not serve Nigerians well.
“The cost of crude slashed to 28 dollars from the anticipated budget rate of 57 dollars and the price of petrol is reduced by N10 or N15.
“When the price increases and on this same premise of the so-called deregulation, it may be increased to about N200 or more; that is the implication,’’ Afolabi said. (NAN)
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils.The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.
A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request. The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
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