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Hello! Shout out to everyone who took the time to fill out this survey last week. You’re my heroes. Everyone seems to agree with the person who sent me an email that simply said “too short please”, I feel you.
On that note, this edition is 1,800 words approx. 6-minute read
???
The Nigerian Police Force met with this person who cosplays as a robot(AI?) on TikTok. Reason? No clue.
https://x.com/jarvisandroidAI/status/1760567445939536327?s=20
In this edition:
Lassa fever outbreak
Aso Villa, others are owing about N47bn in electricity bills.
Nigeria's Federation revenue rose to ₦2.068 trillion in January 2024
Senate rejects bill extending service year for National Assembly staff
State Police bill has passed second reading in HOR
Lassa Fever circulating
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 476 confirmed cases of Lassa fever with 84 deaths.
The cases were confirmed in Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Kogi, Kaduna, Plateau, Cross River, Nasarawa, Rivers, Lagos and 11 other states as of February 18, 2024.
65% of the confirmed cases are from Ondo (24%), Edo (23%), and Bauchi (18%).
The outbreak in Kaduna has prompted the closure of the emergency ward at the 44 Army Reference Hospital in the state.
Governor Uba Sani directed the state Ministry of Health to investigate the outbreak, with surveillance teams mobilised and containment measures initiated.
Samples have been sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control for analysis.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by contact with a rat carrying the disease.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, with complications such as abnormal liver function and acute kidney failure.
No light, no light
The Federal Government says the country’s debt to electricity companies has reached approximately N3.3 trillion - Guardian ng
They said the subsidy on electricity for 2024 is projected to be around N3 trillion, far exceeding the N450 billion budgeted for it in the current year's budget.
One of the largest debtors is, you guessed it, the federal government. According to a public notice sent by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, 86 ministries, agencies and departments of government including Aso Villa and the CBN are owing about N47bn in electricity bills.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, explained that the recent power crisis in January was primarily due to gas suppliers halting their supply because of the sector's debt.
Adelabu listed some of the issues the power sector is having - namely, inadequate gas supplies, ageing infrastructure, and persistent money problems.
He outlined potential solutions, including diversification of power generation to include renewable energy. He advised the FG to facilitate the nation’s journey to renewable energy use.
Speaking of renewable energy, Nigeria transferred operations of the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant, the country's largest hydroelectric plant, to Penstock Limited, a subsidiary of Mainstream Energy Solution Ltd. This is expected to boost national power generation and meet growing energy demands.
The plant was built with a $1.3 billion loan from China and can produce 10% of Nigeria's energy needs.
Exchange rate woes on electricity
Nigeria's electricity regulator (NERC) is considering raising the price of prepaid metres again due to:
Rising production costs due to the foreign exchange crisis. Manufacturers have stopped issuing invoices to electricity distributors in anticipation of a price increase.
Large metre deficit: Over 7 million customers lack metres and are currently billed based on estimates.
If they increase the price, single-phase metre consumers will pay ₦100,000 for a single-phase metre and ₦150,000 for a three-phase metre.
Delays in new metre installations: New applications are not being processed until the new price is announced
In September 2023 the price of metres was increased. single-phase metre cost increased to ₦81,975 (from 58,000), three-phase to ₦143,836 (from 109,000)
Inflation has worsened since then, and the naira has lost value, suggesting a significant price increase is likely.
Money
While people are protesting the cost of living because it's all a mess, Nigeria's Federation revenue rose to ₦2.068 trillion in January 2024.
Out of this, the Federation Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributed ₦1.149 trillion to the federal, state, and local governments.
The increase in statutory revenue compared to December 2023 contributed to the higher overall revenue. However, there was a decrease in VAT revenue during the same period.
The distribution favoured the federal government, receiving the highest share of ₦407.267 billion, followed by state governments at ₦379.407 billion, and local government councils at ₦278.041 billion. Additionally, mineral-producing states received a portion of the revenue as derivation funds
The breakdown of the distributed revenue highlights the contributions from various sources, including statutory revenue, VAT, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and Exchange Difference. Each level of government received a specific share from each source, with the federal government typically receiving the largest portion.
Summary of FAAC January 2024 revenue distribution:
Total Revenue: ₦2.068 trillion Shared Revenue: ₦1.149 trillion. Gross statutory revenue increased by ₦276.426 billion compared to December 2023.
Federal Government: ₦407.267 billion
State Governments: ₦379.407 billion
Local Government Councils: ₦278.041 billion
Derivation Revenue (13% of mineral revenue): ₦85.101 billion
Meanwhile, the Federal Government says efforts to bridge the infrastructure gap through the tax credit scheme have cost the nation over ₦2 trillion since it launched in 2017.
The 3-year-old scheme allows private companies tax breaks for funding road repairs. In October 2017, Buhari approved the tax relief scheme to attract private sector involvement in the provision of road infrastructure across Nigeria.
While the scheme has reportedly spent ₦664 billion on repairs, its effectiveness is questioned.
Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chair Zacheus Adedeji opposes the scheme, calling it "illegal" and outside FIRS' mandate.
He also argues road construction should be handled by the Ministry of Works.
The Senate committee shares concerns. They questioned the legality of using tax credits instead of depositing funds in the consolidated revenue.
The FIRS and CBN held a meeting with the Ministry of Works where they went through the scheme. This will determine the future of the scheme
Temporary solutions 🤔
ASUU Begins Receiving Withheld Salaries
The Nigerian government has finally started releasing the withheld salaries of university lecturers following months of negotiation and a partial "No Work, No Pay" policy waiver.
Professor Muhammad AlMustapha, chairman of the ASUU at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, confirmed the development on February 19, 2024.
This comes after President Bola Tinubu approved the release of four months' worth of salaries withheld during the lecturers' eight-month strike between February and October 2023
While some ASUU members have already received payments for March and April 2023, others are still waiting for their turn. This news follows months of frustration and hardship for lecturers, who previously expressed concerns about the non-payment of their salaries despite completing additional work to address delays caused by the strike.
The payment of these withheld salaries marks a step forward in resolving the ongoing dispute between ASUU and the government.
However, the initial issues like the implementation of the 2009 agreement still remain unaddressed and could be another cause for conflict.
Lagos’ solution to all the chaos
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at alleviating the economic hardship faced by residents. These measures include:
1. Reduced Public Transport Costs:
A 25% reduction in fares for state-owned transport services, starting this weekend.
Discussions are ongoing with private transport unions to reduce their fares as well.
2. Discounted Food Markets:
Opening of "Sunday Markets" in 42 locations across the state, offering discounted food items with a spending limit of ₦25,000.
3. Free Meal Program:
An ambitious plan to provide meals for 1,000 people daily per local government area through vouchers redeemable at selected canteens.
4. Flexible Work Hours for Civil Servants:
Implementing a 3-day work week for those on Levels 1-14 and a 4-day work week for those on Levels 15-17.
5. Continued School Schedule:
Maintaining a 5-day work week for public school teachers, with additional transportation support being explored.
Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasised the government's commitment to addressing the challenges faced by residents and expressed empathy for their situation.
These initiatives are intended to offer some immediate relief and support to Lagosians amidst the ongoing economic difficulties.
Customs office is selling food
The Nigerian customs office says they have discovered routes people use to smuggle food from Niger, Cameroon and other neighbouring countries. They have been seizing this “contrand” and recently, they announced sale of some seized rice at their offices.
Over 20,000 bags of various grains and other food items seized by NCS.
To note, the price of rice (Rice Master rice, 50kg, for instance, has increased by ₦10,000-₦15,000 in the last 8 months (from approx. ₦25,000 - ₦40,000)
The customs office is selling this were seized rice for ₦10,000 per bag to low-income Nigerians, artisans, teachers, nurses, religious groups.
Governance
Senate Probes N30 Trillion Ways and Means Loan Granted to Buhari
The Nigerian Senate has decided to investigate the N30 trillion Ways and Means loan obtained by the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration from the CBN.
An ad hoc committee will be formed to examine the loan's disbursement and usage, including various intervention programs funded by it.
The Senate alleges the loan significantly contributed to the current economic hardship and accuses the previous Senate of approving it without proper details and background information.
Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan disputes the ₦30 trillion figure, claiming it was only ₦23 trillion with additional funds for infrastructure, and urges investigating potential misuse of funds.
Former Appropriations Committee Chairman Barau Jibrin partially defends the approval, claiming it was done collaboratively with the executive for emergency purposes while expecting detailed reports later, which never materialised.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio criticises the lack of transparency and expresses the need to understand how the funds were spent to improve the current economic situation and provide essential services to Nigerians.
Senate rejects bill extending service year for National Assembly staff
The Nigerian Senate has rejected a bill proposing to extend the service year for employees of the National Assembly by five years to 65 years old. This decision comes after the bill, initially passed by the House of Representatives, was presented to the Senate for concurrence.
Reasons for Rejection:
Lack of justification for longer service: Senators like Abaribe questioned the rationale behind extending the service year, arguing there was no significant difference between National Assembly staff and other civil servants with similar roles in other ministries. But the National Assembly members are totally different, obvs.
Potential disaffection within civil service: Concerns were raised about the bill causing discontent among other civil servants who might feel disadvantaged by the proposed extension
Insecurity
This week in terrorism
At least 12 people have been killed and nine others brutally injured by bandits who attacked Gindin Dutse Makyali village of Kufana district in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State - Channels TV
State Police bill has passed second reading in house of reps
The bill proposes the establishment of state police by amending the constitution to allow states to have their police forces, separate from the federal police.
Those for the bill argue that it will
Address localised security challenges more effectively.
Support the fight against insecurity in the North-east.
Improve security architecture.
Those against argue that:
It could potentially be abused by governors — they worry they’ll use the police for their own political gain (hmm. We wouldn't want that)
They also worry that it might aggravate the insecurity issues in some states.
Since the bill has passed its second reading it now needs to go through the remaining six steps until it can become law.
Other news
The Chairman of BUA says the company has approved a 50 per cent salary increment for staff across the board - Vanguard
Navy says they intercepted N95bn stolen crude in the last 10 months – Punch
N1.2 trillion will be lost if the sachet and pet alcohol ban by NAFDAC continues - Punch
The Nigerian government is set to introduce a bill which will help reduce future borrowing by the country - Guardian ng
Olumide Akpata, the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, is the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Edo State - Premium Times
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HOWWWWW can one country have this many problems? Like say make I just vomit 🤮
But thank you for the news !