Hi!
What are your new year’s resolutions? Mine are to (re)start a podcast 🤞
Alright, let’s get into it.
Word count: 2,300 (approx. 8 min read).
If you thought your electricity meter ran out sooner than usual last month, it’s because it did.
Punch reports that Electricity distribution companies “quietly” increased tariffs a month ago.
When people complained, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company explained that the national increase was an order from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The NERC didn’t say anything, but their website says they’ll adjust the electricity price every six months “for fairness” and to “adjust for inflation”.
In this edition:
Petrol transporters are considering a strike
FG is dispersing “rehabilitated” terrorists
NAF kills terrorists and some civilians “collateral damage”
Don’t forget your PVC
Petrol and over woes
While petrol scarcity in Nigeria continues to get worse, President Muhammadu Buhari has promised fuel delivery assistance to Burundi.
According to a statement from Femi Adesina, Buhari made the promise when he received Burundi’s Minister of Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning, Hon. Audace Niyonzima, and a Special Envoy of Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Nigerians have been struggling with fuel scarcity since November 2022.
And the petrol issue is likely to get worse party because of fuel delivery issues. ha!
Oil tank drivers are threatening to go on strike over bullying from Nigeria’s security agents.
According to tanker drivers, military agents destroyed two trucks transporting high pour fuel oil (black oil, typically used as marine) they were transporting from a refinery in Imo to Delta state earlier.
The drivers said they showed their receipt and quality control documents to the military, but the agents still insisted they were carrying [stolen] crude oil. They seized the trucks and allegedly burnt them between Ahoada and Elele in Rivers state.
Lucky Osesua, chairman of petroleum tanker drivers pointed out that the military destroyed the trucks without investigating the source or even contacting the refinery on the presented receipts.
Osesua said this wasn’t an isolated incident and the misdirected strong-handedness from security agents has adversely affected their ability to supply petrol across the country.
Security
DSS finds more terrorists
According to the Nigerian secret service (DSS), Abdulmumin Ibrahim Otaru, a high commander of ISWAP, and his associate, Saidu Suleiman, have been arrested in connection with the explosion near Ebiraland Ohinoyi's palace in Kogi State.
Otaru's group attacked last Thursday during Buhari's visit to the state to commission some projects overseen by Governor Yahaya Bello. They killed 4 people.
According to DSS Public Relations Officer Peter Afunanya, Otaru was shot in the foot while fleeing and is being treated at a hospital.
Afunanya said further investigations revealed that Otaru was involved in a number of terrorist attacks including the July 2022 explosives attack on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja where over 100 inmates escaped.
The military is deploying “low-risk” terrorists into states
The Federal government is sending 613 “re-habilitated low-risk repentant” terrorists to their state governments for reintegration into society.
Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor says the terrorists are currently undergoing "de-radicalization", which is being handled by the terrorist Army's rehabilitation initiative, Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC).
President Buhari established the OPSC in 2015 as a means for repentant terrorists to lay down their arms and be rehabilitated.
He described the plan as a "multi-agency & humanitarian operation" backed by local, national, and international organisations as well as friendly nations.
According to Irabor, OPSC's success continues to resonate both within Nigeria and globally, attracting the attention of researchers worldwide.
Irabor says the receiving state governments should “support” the ex-combatants as they wade through the "most challenging phase of their lives".
Amazing
Meanwhile, the unrepentant, high-risk terrorists
Terrorist unrest
Over 30 terrorists from both Boko Haram and ISWAP died in a clash between the two terrorist organisations.
How it started: Zagazola Makama, a Lake Chad counter-insurgency expert said Boko Haram commander Abu Umaimah led fighters to the ISWAP camps on the outskirts of Kangar border community. A gunfight erupted once they were spotted.
Four captives (kidnapped and imprisoned in ISWAP prisons on August 3, 2022) escaped during the 13-hour clash between the terror groups, according to military sources.
The survivors told the military that they followed a trail through the forest in the Lake Chad Basin into a neighbouring country. Their identities and what country they got into appear to have been kept confidential.
Busy army
The Nigerian Army claims to have killed an undisclosed number of IPOB members during a raid on their Amagu, Ebonyi, camps.
They army says they executed the operation in collaboration with Nigerian Air Force, police, and DSS.
A few days ago in Zamfara, the Nigerian Air Force reported that they killed over 180 terrorists in Zamfara via airstrikes. The NAF also killed over 60 civilians they said were “used as shields by the dissidents”.
More doctors threaten to strike over safety concerns.
The Nigerian Medical Association is again threatening to shut down hospitals in the country over safety concerns.
A few weeks ago, the Nigerian Medical Association threatened to shut down hospitals in Rivers State after a doctor was kidnapped in Port Harcourt, on his way home from work.
This time, they’re protesting the death of a doctor who was shot in a hospital in Delta.
On New Year’s Eve, attackers with guns raided Olive Clinic, in Oghareki. They murdered a doctor, Dr. Uyi Iluobe.
Crime & money
The DSS has been *bu-sy*
Not only hunting down terrorists who attacked Kogi when Buhari was visiting, but also trying to arrest various top government employees. Two weeks ago, they were focused on arresting CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele for suspected terrorism financing. Now, they’re onto INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
DSS reportedly applied to the high court in Abuja to investigate Yakubu over allegations of false asset declaration.
They requested an order of court stopping the INEC chairman from holding or assuming any public office for a period of 10 years. They also wanted the court to have Yakubu exclude himself and or step down as the chairman of INEC pending the investigation.
The court refused to allow the DSS to question Yakubu, as it did with Emefiele's case.
In the judgment, Justice M. A. Hassan found that the declaration of assets by Prof. Yakubu was lawful, valid, and in compliance with the law and that he cannot be investigated by the security agency.
It’s all up in the air now. DSS claims they did not file any charges against INEC chairman. The whole court thing was based on misinformation, they said.
Buhari signs 2023 budget
Buhari signed into law the N21.83 trillion 2023 Budget and the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bill on Tuesday.
He noted that the total expenditure of N21.83 trillion represents a N1.32 trillion increase over the initial Executive Proposal of N20.51 trillion.
The President stated that the Supplementary Appropriations Act would allow the administration to respond to the devastation caused by recent nationwide floods in the infrastructure and agriculture sectors.
He delegated more details about the budget and the accompanying Finance Act to the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning.
He said he also noticed that the National Assembly “included new projects in its budget proposal, for which it has appropriated N770.72 billion"
The National Assembly also “increased the N58.55 billion in provisions made by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs)”.
He concluded that it is "obvious that the National Assembly must incorporate some of the proposed additional revenue sources into the fiscal framework”.
Buhari decided to sign before these finishing touches are made because it allows its implementation to begin immediately, given the impending transition to another democratically elected government.
FG inaugurates Niger Delta Development Commission governing board
After over three years of flip-flops, the federal government finally inaugurated the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The commission was established in 2000 to find and implement solutions for the socio-economic difficulties, promote political peace and socio-economic prosperity, and facilitate responsible oil extraction in the Niger Delta region.
The new board has as its Chair, a former aide to Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, and Chief Samuel Ogbukwu as Managing Director.
The inauguration has been enmeshed in numerous pending court cases at the Federal High Court. Some of them were pushed by ethnic disagreements.
Inaugurating the board in Abuja, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Umana, urged the board to immediately hit the ground running by implementing recommendations of the Report of the Forensic Audit of the Commission carried out in 2019.
The new Chairman of the board, Lauretta Onochie assured that the board has put in place a template for the speedy development of the socioeconomic development of the region.
She said, “we are going to do things differently so that the people of Niger Delta can benefit from what Nigeria has been investing in the region. In the past, many investments in the Niger Delta have found their way to Abuja, London, Dubai, and elsewhere.”
Onochie was one of INEC’s commissioners but was swiftly replaced after people called out how off it was that someone so close to a political party was part of a supposedly politically neutral organisation.
Buhari’s camp nominated Onochie to join INEC. People argued then that she was too strongly affiliated with — and had openly campaigned for — his political party to be so close to the elections. She claimed that she was no longer part of APC, meh.
Onochie was removed and replaced in 2021 and is now settling into her role as NDDC Chair.
Road to 2023
Don’t forget your PVC
PVC collection is still ongoing until the 22nd of January.
From now until the 15th of January, you can go to your voters’ registration centre to collect yours
After the 15th, you’ll need to go to your local INEC office to get yours.
Collection centres are open every day between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Other news
Cross River State government has assured residents and potential investors that the multibillion naira Bakassi Deep Seaport and the 275km Superhighway projects are still on course despite challenges - Guardian NG.
Bayelsa governor, Douye Diri awards scholarship to 7 children for helping to fight flood - Guardian NG.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the deployment of advanced technology to tackle insecurity in the southeast - Vanguard.
For 11 months, last year (January to November), the Federal Government spent a ₦5.24 trillion servicing its debt obligations to different local and foreign institutions, and individuals - Guardian NG.