Emefiele gawn 🙏
In this episode
Godwin Emefiele has taken his foot off the neck of the Central Bank of Nigeria
Kwara’s solution to petrol scarcity
Nigeria Air was a scam
This newsletter is 2,288 words (approx. 8 min read)
Emefiele gawn 🙏
The Nigerian president has suspended Godwin Emefiele — the CBN governor, and the subject of many of our newsletters and many frustrated conversations in Nigeria.
This decision was made due to an ongoing investigation into the CBN and planned reforms in the country's financial sector.
Emefiele has been asked to hand over his duties to the Deputy CBN Governor of Operations, Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi (one of 4 deputy governors), who will act as the Central Bank governor during the investigation and reforms.
This suspension follows criticism of the CBN's naira swap policy introduced by the previous government. Tinubu had expressed concerns about the implementation of the policy and promised to review it during his campaign.
Rotimi Akeredolu is alive
There were rumours spreading about the death of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, but the Ondo State government says that he is alive and urged people to ignore the rumours.
Tension arose in the state when the governor went on vacation, and the opposition party demanded his whereabouts to stop speculation.
The governor's absence and lack of information led to anxiety on social media.
However, the state government clarified that the governor is “indisposed” but still attending to state matters and delegating tasks when needed.
Petrol and the economy
Petrol
The Nigerian Labour Congress was prepped to go on strike on Wednesday 7th of June but decided to suspend it after a meeting with the government and the national industrial court.
The government obtained a court injunction. The court agreed that the strike would disrupt socio-economic activities and cause further discomfort in the country (as argued by Maimuna Shiru of the Federal Ministry of Justice)
The strike was intended to protest the abrupt removal of the petrol subsidy, which caused the price of petrol to nearly triple (causing hardship for everyone).
The labour union agreed to suspend the strike and engage in further consultations with the government.
They will discuss demands such as upgrading state-owned refineries to produce petrol locally and keeping prices low.
Another meeting is scheduled for June 19 to implement any agreements. The Trade Union Congress has also issued demands to the government, including an increase in the minimum wage (to N200,000).
Dr Chiwuike Uba, a Development Economist, disagrees with the Federal Government's plan to review workers' salaries in Nigeria. He believes that increasing salaries will worsen the country's financial situation.
Kwara government reading the room (right)?
To compensate for the significant increase in transportation costs due to the current state of petrol, the Kwara State government has decided to temporarily reduce the number of workdays from five days to three days per week for all workers in the state.
This decision was made in response to a significant increase in transportation costs.
The State Head of Service has instructed all Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to establish a schedule that outlines the alternating work days for each worker.
The oil cousins are in another fight
There is a brewing conflict between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and marketers over undelivered petrol. Reports say the fight might lead to petrol scarcity.
The gist: The NNPCL collected money upfront to deliver a large quantity of petrol but failed to do so. NNPCL then asked marketers to pay more money —- a significant amount — to claim their goods. The petrol marketers aren’t having it, so both parties are in a mini showdown. Read more
NNPC/L scam track record?
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to create a panel to investigate the alleged mismanagement of public funds in Nigeria - Punch
The group claims that around $2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion, which were budgeted for fuel subsidies between 2016 and 2019, are missing and unaccounted for.
They are urging the president to identify and prosecute anyone responsible for this corruption and recover any stolen money.
The group believes that removing fuel subsidies without addressing these corruption issues would harm the poor while allowing those responsible to escape punishment.
Economy
Benefits of bad money
In the first quarter of 2023, Nigeria's total trade value reached N12.05 trillion, despite the depreciation of the Naira and scarcity challenges. The National Bureau of Statistics reported a 2.77% increase from the last quarter of 2022 (Oct-Dec). Total exports exceeded total imports, resulting in a positive trade balance.
Factors contributing to the increase in trade: higher global oil prices, increased demand for Nigerian exports from China and other Asian countries, and the depreciation of the Naira, which made Nigerian exports more competitive and discouraged imports.
However, there is a need to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil and gas exports for sustainable growth.
Nigeria Air “Operators” to the national assembly:
The Interim Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Captain Dayo Olumide, has admitted that the recently introduced Nigerian Air airline is actually a chartered aircraft from Ethiopia.
He made this confession during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, explaining that Nigeria Air launched by the previous President, Muhammadu Buhari, was rented for five days to showcase the airline's logo to Nigerians and shareholders.
Olumide clarified that the airline was actually launched in 2018, and his responsibility was to obtain an operating certificate for the airline, not to operate it.
During the meeting, key stakeholders denied knowledge of the unveiling of the airline.
Olumide further explained that the aircraft that arrived in Nigeria in May 2023 was chartered and did not require a license.
The committee expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and secrecy surrounding the Nigeria Air arrangement.
Infrastructure
The Federal Government and Lagos State Government conducted a survey to check the condition of the Third Mainland Bridge, which had been rumoured to be vandalised.
After inspecting the bridge, both governments reassured people that the bridge is safe and can be used without any worries.
However, the Federal Ministry of Works stated that the alleged vandalized section was actually being repaired by the contractor before their contract was terminated due to slow progress. Therefore, there was no vandalism, and the bridge is safe for public use.
Medical
The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) has tackled the HIV/AIDS crisis in Nigeria by creating infrastructure for HIV/AIDS treatment, care, prevention, and support.
They have provided counselling and testing to over 15 million individuals and over 3.7 million pregnant women, with more than half a million people receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
IHVN has expanded its services to include tuberculosis, malaria, cancer, COVID-19, and emerging diseases.
IHVN has also supported the improvement of the quality of life for people living with HIV, training healthcare workers, and promoting public/private partnerships for quality health services.
ICN, the British government and Nigeria’s healthcare industry
The British government has pledged £2 million to strengthen Nigeria's healthcare workforce.
The funding aims to help Nigeria improve its healthcare system, enhance the skills of its healthcare workers, and achieve better health outcomes in the long term.
This is partly in response to the International Council of Nurses (ICN) critisising wealthy countries like the UK for taking nurses from poorer countries, calling it a problem that is getting out of control.
Nigeria alone lost almost 3,000 nurses to the British National Health Service in 2021-2022.
The ICN says that high-income countries are aggressively recruiting nurses from vulnerable countries that cannot afford to lose them.
Insecurity
A group of armed terrorists attacked several communities in Sokoto State, Nigeria. The attack occurred in the Tangaza Local Government Area and resulted in the deaths of over 35 people, according to eyewitnesses.
The bandits targeted three villages: Raka, Raka Dutse, and Filingawa. The police confirmed the attacks and stated that six other villages were affected as well.
The bandits, who arrived on motorcycles, also set vehicles and homes on fire.
The former chairman of the area mentioned that the attacks may be connected to the terrorists demanding payment of levies from the communities.
Many injured residents were injured, some severely, and are receiving treatment in the hospital. The situation remains unsafe, and some residents are still unable to return to their homes.
TW: Assault
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested four men in Jigawa State for allegedly sexually abusing adolescent boys — Daily Post
The suspects were identified as Bashir Hassan, Ado Muhammad, Usman Abba, and Yusuf Garba. They are accused of raping sexual teenage and preteen boys in their community.
A parent of one of the victims reported the rapists to the police after discovering what they had been doing. Medical examinations confirmed evidence of repeated sexual penetration.
Ondo deputy accused of domestic violence
A women's group called the Society for Women Empowerment (SWE) has accused the deputy governor of Ondo state, Lucky Ayedatiwa, of assaulting his wife.
The group claims that the deputy governor has physically abused his wife on two separate occasions in the past four months.
They are calling for an investigation into the matter and are giving the deputy governor a seven-day ultimatum to apologise publicly to his wife. The deputy governor's spokesperson responded by saying that family matters should be kept private. (this is where we live)
Ayedatiwa claims he didn’t do it
Nnamdi Kanu
The Nigerian Department of State Services (DSS) in Nigeria has denied access to a medical team that wanted to see Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu's lawyer, confirmed that the DSS did not allow the medical team to provide care for his client. Kanu's brother also stated that the doctors were asked to leave the medical facility.
Despite efforts to arrange proper medical care for Kanu, the DSS prevented it from happening.
Kanu's lawyer insists that he should receive the necessary medical attention from doctors of his choice.
Politics
Updates from the election tribunal
Rivers elections witness
In a court case challenging the results of the Nigerian presidential election, a witness for Atiku Abubakar (PDP candidate) testified that people working for Tinubu (APC candidate, now President) and the APC disrupted the electronic transmission of election results in Rivers State.
The witness claimed that INEC officials were prevented from uploading results using the voting machines due to violence instigated by agents representing Tinubu and the APC.
Atiku can’t get the INEC materials he paid for
Atiku has accused INEC of making it difficult for him to access important documents to support his case against President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku claims that he paid INEC 6 million Naira to get certified copies of these documents, but they haven't been provided.
Atiku believes that INEC manipulated the election results in favor of Tinubu. At a court hearing, Atiku's lawyer requested the documents, but the court said they should be provided as a whole, not in pieces.
Atiku's team now plans to subpoena INEC officials to bring the necessary documents to court.
El Rufai’s rant
Former governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State in Nigeria made a speech to Muslim clerics, where he stated that his political calculations led him to believe that not many non-Muslims voted for his party, so he “decided not to give them” the deputy governor position.
El Rufai claimed that Muslims dominating the positions in the Kaduna government is on purpose, and said the “Islamic dominance in Kaduna has been successfully replicated in Nigeria and that it shall continue”.
He also highlighted the importance of justice in Islam and expressed his desire to continue in power for many years to prove the superiority of Islamic leadership.
Read the speech here - its a mess
Things you should know
Crypto suit
The U.S. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and its CEO Changpeng Zhao.
The SEC accuses Binance of violating securities laws by attracting U.S. customers to its unregulated international exchange and mixing investor funds with their own.
The complaint also alleges that Binance created a subsidiary called Binance.US to shield the main company from law enforcement and regulatory actions.
Binance earned $11.6 billion in revenue between June 2018 and July 2021. Binance and Zhao have dismissed the allegations, and the company claims to have cooperated with the SEC's investigations.
Crisis in Senegal
The government of Senegal has blocked mobile internet access in certain areas due to violent riots and the spreading of "hateful and subversive" messages online.
The country has experienced three days of protests, resulting in 16 deaths.
Last week, the government limited access to certain messaging platforms, but people found ways to bypass the restriction using virtual private networks.
Now, the government has extended the outage to include all mobile internet data in certain areas and at certain times.
Internet shutdowns to control information are common in Africa, violating freedom of speech and impacting economies.
Other news
TETFund) has approved N130 million as a zonal intervention for polytechnics in its 2023 intervention - This Day
former executive members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kabba/Bunu Council of Kogi State have officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state - Leadership
Iyabo Ojo has reacted to the Lagos State Government and the governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu over an alleged ₦18 million tax request - Vanguard
Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is not legally empowered to fix or adjust the price of petrol, only the president can - The Cable
This week, the Enugu government tried to end the sit-at-home on Mondays policy imposed by IPOB on the city two years ago, but it seems they haven't had any luck - Premium Times
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has granted approval for the recruitment of over 1,684 workers in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA)s across the state - This Day