Money and other sources of evil
HI!
We’re back! How have you been? (Seriously, reply to this email to tell me how you are. I’d like to know) I am Tiredt, burnt out, and hungry. It has been a long, long year.
In this edition
UK and UAE reopen borders
The Nigerian government keeps terrorising protesters
Buhari kindly pays doctors what they’re owed
New salary bracket for police
First Bank MD arrested for aiding looting
Inter-country nonsense
3 weeks ago, days after the Omicron COVID variant was discovered, Canada, the UK and Saudi Arabia banned flights from Nigeria and other African countries and days after, Nigeria retaliated. The minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said that if those countries placed Nigeria on a red list, they lacked a moral right to have their airlines fly into Nigeria on commercial operations. So they're out. So far, the UK has walked back their ban, but the minister hasn't made any promises to unban them. Oops.
Looking to get a UK Visa? The good news, the UK has lifted the suspension earlier imposed on visa applications (The Cable)
Already got a visa and worried about the suspended flights from "red-listed countries"? The UK has also cancelled the red list, which the UK initially imposed to contain the omicron COVID variant (somehow, only predominantly black countries were on the list). Now all you need to do is take a COVID test to confirm you're clear (BBC)
UAE vs Nigeria
It seems the beef between Emirates and Nigeria is over. The drama started with the Nigerian government limiting its flights to the UAE to one a week to manage COVID spread.
The UAE retaliated by suspending its flight operations to Nigeria indefinitely— no Emirates airlines were coming to Nigeria, after which Nigeria lifted the restriction and gave Emirates 21 flights a week.
Air-Peace then requested 3 flights a week to Dubai, but the UAE rejected the request and countered with a once-a-week offer, which Nigeria's aviation agency retaliated by withdrawing all 21 flight slots allocated to UAE.
Then this week, UAE responded with an apology and peace offering of 7 slots a week to Air Peace.
Terrorists terrorising
Nigerian security arrest citizens protesting poor security
In Abuja, Kano, Zamfara and other North-Western states, citizens have been protesting the Nigerian government's poor response to terrorism and violence with the hashtag #SecureNorth and #NorthisBleeding.
The protest organisers took to the streets and created a Change.org petition demanding that Buhari and Northern Governors declare a state of emergency and take real action against terrorism.
The Federal Government's response? Arrests and physical assault.
In Abuja, police officers disrupted the protests and arrested 7 people, 2 of whom were journalists. The journalists were later released upon the request of a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Yet Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya insists that there are visible signs of improved security.
Where we are with security: some terrorist attacks this week:
On Sunday evening, terrorists killed at least 10 people in Mavo Chiefdom in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State. This area has also suffered kidnappings, similar attacks and other security threats. The State's police command said they are "aware" and will share more details when they have it.
In Imo State, kidnappers abducted 2 traditional rulers and burnt their homes, forcing many residents to flee for fear that they might be next.
Terrorists invaded Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara state, burnt homes and reportedly killed 7 people. Eyewitnesses claim that the Nigerian military intercepted the attack. They say the army killed over 20 terrorists in the intervention.
Money and other sources of evil
Power
If you’re worried about fuel scarcity, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says Nigeria has 2 billion litres of fuel available, so don't be.
The association says that stocking up on fuel in anticipation of scarcity is unnecessary as petrol will be available across the country all through the festive season.
But IPMAN's President publicly begged the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (the regulators of Nigeria’s petroleum industry) to pay petrol marketers what they’re owed as fuel availability in Nigeria is heavily dependent on how quickly the debt is settled.
Speaking of power
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN and Mafab Communications Limited are now eligible to provide 5G technology to expand Nigeria's broadband operations.
The auction was between MTN, airtel and Mafab Communications Limited, all of whom NCC says met the eligibility criteria.
MTN and Mafab, which launched last year, outbid Airtel.
There are rumours that Mafab is affiliated with former Lagos Governor and rumoured 2023 Presidential aspirant Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The NCC says this is not true.
Nigeria's debt tracker:
Nigeria now owes about $92 billion (N38 trillion) in external and internal debt, and the Federal Government now has approval from the National Assembly to seek more external loans.
The House of Representatives (HoR) has approved President Buhari’s loan request of $5.8 billion and grant of $10 million.
The loans will be sourced from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, China Exim Bank, Chinese Africa Development Fund, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The HoR's condition is that all legal documents concerning the loans must be forwarded to the National Assembly for proper execution and commendation (They don't want to end up inadvertently giving away the International airport 😭)
The House observed that the total borrowing covers $2.3 billion for the Grid Modernisation and Expansion Programme, $290 million for the malaria project, $700 million for the Sustainable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project, $786,382,967 for the Gurara Phase II project, among several others.
So far, the African Development Bank has approved $210 million in Agro-industrial development.
Recall that a few weeks ago, the HOR questioned the loan request because they considered the malaria project to be elaborate and noticed that the previous WASH projects were incomplete despite approval of all budgetary demands.
These loan conversations were held in the National Assembly Complex, a building that recently cost the Nigerian taxpayer N42 billion to "renovate".
Salaries
Through the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the Federal Government has approved higher income brackets for Nigerian police personnel. According to Buhari's spokesperson, this is the presidency's attempt at honouring some of the #EndSars/anti-police brutality protest demands.
During the protests in 2022, demonstrators demanded better salaries for police, the belief being that the extortion and brutality are partly due to inadequate pay.
Premium Times reports that the new salary, set to roll out from January 2022, will have police personnel on 20% higher income than previously.
The FEC also approved N1.2 billion for the payment of outstanding allowances and another N1.2 billion for "uninsured benefits".
Months after the no-work-no-pay was imposed to punish doctors protesting unfair working conditions and unpaid income, the President intervenes.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, says Buhari directed the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, to release the September and October 2021 income which the Finance ministry withheld from health workers under the no-work-no-pay regime.
Ngige the President released their salaries because he is "compassionate" and believes it will encourage health workers to perform better even as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers 🥴
Ngige said: “The President graciously approved that we pay back some funds, some wages, which we did not pay the health workers". Not like they worked for it or anything.
EFCC
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the recently appointed Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo.
An anon source told Guardian NG that Okonkwo's arrest was part of the ongoing investigations of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
EFCC has, in the past, questioned Okonkwo and a few others over $267 million suspected to be held at First Bank.
The Guardian article says that Diezani was still holding $72,870,000 million at the bank's coffers, which Okonkwo has allegedly secretly helped her transport.
They also claim that Okonkwo kept $40 million of the loot with First Bank's former Executive Director, Mr Dauda Lawal, to conceal its source.
COVID-19 updates
Medical professionals say Nigeria could be inching towards a 4th COVID wave.
Nigeria recorded 1,424 new cases on Wednesday- the first time we recorded over 1000 cases.
Lagos recorded 1,000 cases on Wednesday; 152 in Delta; 130 in Abuja; 129 in Edo; 82 in Oyo; and 39 in Ondo and Rivers.
Vaccinations
As an incentive to encourage vaccinations, EFCC and NYSC have banned unvaccinated people from offices and camps, but mass vaccination is a challenge because we don't have enough. When we do, some are expired.
Nigeria's Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire has countered media reports alleging that around 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine expired last month.
According to him, the donated vaccines were very close to their expiry dates, but Nigeria, like other developing countries, had to accept them because of supply gaps and zero costs.
He says this issue can be prevented if Nigeria can produce vaccines internally.
But the Director-General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, says Nigeria aiming to produce in-house vaccines isn't realistic because we don't have the technology or structure required.
He said the National Biotechnology Development Agency works with the Cuban Embassy, World Health Organisation, and other relevant institutions to produce vaccines.
Other news
#governorsareworking. Governors will pay pensioners money their state owes them to help citizens manage the anticipated hike in the price of petrol. (The Cable)
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and Jay Z appointed three Nigerians—Abubakar Nur Khalil, Obi Nwosu, Ojoma Ochai—to the board of the Bitcoin trust fund (Guardian NG)
Victims Support Fund Task Force on COVID-19 donates N23million to families of 7 Navy officers who died in a plane crash in Kaduna in May 2021 (Daily trust)
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has begun engaging with practitioners and stakeholders in the Nigerian movie and entertainment industry to enforce the law banning smoking in movies. This is an attempt to reduce/minimise smoking/tobacco use (Premium Times)
You now need an eye test to get a driver's license (Leadership)
Gas price may increase as government hits importers with N27bn tax (Guardian NG)