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Todayâs edition is 1,500 words (approx. 5 min read)
In this edition
Where is Emefiele?
Whatâs happening with the new Naira notes?
Did NNPC really secretly export over N17 million in petrol?
FGâs questionable solution to police brutality
MoneyÂ
New banknotes and MIA governorÂ
CBN insists that the old N200, N500 and N1,000 will be illegal by the 31st of January.Â
The same Naira notes that banks report are scarce and ATMs are not dispensing.
There have also been reports that there are some parts of Nigeria that arenât even accepting these notes.Â
Thoughts and prayers to the CBN.Â
Speaking of the CBN, has anyone seen the bank governor, Godwin Emefiele? Emefiele has missed two meetings with the National Assembly.Â
Both meetings were to brief them on the new withdrawal policy of the bank. (the one where Nigerians are only allowed to withdraw âŠ500,000 a week).
But the governor wrote to the National Assembly to inform them that he wonât be available to attendÂ
Emefieleâs colleagues say he is abroad on âofficial businessâ.
Recall that Nigeriaâs secret service was trying for a while to arrest Emefiele over âsuspected terrorism financingâ, but the court said they were not allowed to because the judge didnât think they had enough evidence to arrest a man of Emefieleâs status.Â
The cost of electricity is kicking my assÂ
And human rights law Non-profit The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) is fighting for me (and you if the cost of electricity is eating you alive too).
SERAP urged Buhari to direct Minister of Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, to immediately reverse the "illegal, unjust, and unreasonable" increase in electricity tariffs that reportedly took effect in December 2022.
SERAP also urged Buhari to conduct an investigation into the use of public funds by successive governments since 2005, as well as the prosecution of cases of corruption and mismanagement.
Last week we reported that the NERC instructed electricity companies to raise the cost across the country last month.Â
SERAP's deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare says the increase "would exacerbate extreme poverty across the country and undermine the ability of millions of Nigerians to meet basic human needs".
Letâs hope someone listens đ
The finance bill is not looking good for the private sectorÂ
Through the contentious Finance Bill 2022, the federal government wants to impose additional taxes on businesses.
The bill was rushed through the National Assembly, along with the Appropriation Bill for 2023, without a public hearing, which is now being challenged by the organised private sector (OPS).
According to the Appropriation Act, FG needs N10.49 trillion in total revenue to fund the budget. This includes the gross revenues of 63 government-owned enterprises totalling N3.87 trillion.
The FG also anticipates N2.29 trillion in oil revenue, N2.43 trillion in non-oil taxes, and N2.6 trillion in FG independent revenues.
The Senate scheduled a 24-hour public hearing (an unrealistic timeline, according to OPS groups), but the National Assembly passed the legislation before the hearing.
OPS groups are concerned that additional taxes will push operators to the brink of bankruptcy.Â
On imports: The finance bill will levy a 0.5% tax on eligible imports from non-African countries in order to fund Nigeria's international obligations, as well as raise the Tertiary Education Tax from 2.5% to 3% of companies' profits.
NNPCâs missing moneyÂ
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) says claims âfrom a publicationâ that the oil firm exported 17.88 million barrels of crude oil without proper documentation are false.Â
NNPCâs Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba-Deen Muhammad, says if you want to see their financials, visit the relevant Auditor-Generalâs website to see the full content of the audit report.
But this isnât the first time theyâve been accused recently. The last accusation came from the Auditor-General, whom they asked us to trust...Â
In Mach 2022, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation said Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (now Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited) failed to account for about 107,239,436 barrels of crude oil lifted for domestic consumption in 2019.
The office made the allegation in reference to an audit report released in 2019.
According to the report, about 22,929.84 litres of petrol, valued at N7.06bn and pumped to the two depots (Ibadan-Ilorin and Aba-Enugu) between June and July 2019 were not received by the depots.
The report also noted discrepancies between the amount the NNPC claimed to transfer to the federal account and what was reported by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The NNPC records showed that they transferred N1,272,606,864,000 to the FG, but the Accountant-General said it was N608,710,292,773.44 (meaning N663,896,567,227.58 was missing)
Road to 2023
Two weeks left to get your PVC
Following public pressure, INEC extended the deadline for registered voters to collect their PVCs to Sunday, January 29 (the previous deadline was January 22).
After the 15th of Jan (tomorrow), youâll need to go to your local INEC office to get yours. Today and tomorrow you can go to the center you registered for your PVC.
Collection centres are open every day between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.Â
PVC disruptions
Thugs disrupted the collection of PVCs in some wards of Ikpoba-Okha LGA, Edo State, over the weekend.
The perpetrators allegedly stormed the collection centres on Friday and Saturday in Ward 01 at Iwogban/Uteh; Ward 05 at St. Saviour's School; Ward 07 at Ugbekun; Ward 06 at Maria Goretti College; and RA 09 at Obanyator (with Army Children's School and Ogheghe health centres serving as the actual centres).
Concerns about army tribal conflictÂ
The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) is concerned about recent Army postings. The exercise taking place only 45 days before the presidential election on February 25, is a "threat to the election," they claim.
Intersociety is also concerned about the massive deployment of âsenior Muslim officersâ to the Southern regions, despite local protests.
According to Intersociety, three of the 19 officers posted are from the South. The rest, they said are âmostly northernersâ.
In accordance with the Federal Character Act of 2004, it demanded the reassignment of General Officers Commanding posts at the 6 Division, Port Harcourt, and the 82 Division, Enugu, to senior army officers from the South East.
The postings include principal officers of the Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, Commandants of Army Training Institutions, Brigade Commanders, and so on.
Delta govt vs Labour party
Labour party says the Delta State Government denied them a venue to hold their presidential campaign rally in Asaba. The government says they did not.
 InsecurityÂ
Kidnap in Edo train station
The Edo State Government confirmed on Wednesday that 20 people were kidnapped during last Saturday's attack on the Igueben train station in the Igueben local government area.
According to Chris Nehikhare, the state commissioner for communication and orientation, 7 people have escaped so far. 2 more victims are said to have been rescued yesterday, bringing the total number of people held captive to 11.
There were no security personnel at the train station when the kidnapping occurred, according to eyewitnesses.Â
According to police, one person has been arrested and an investigation is ongoing with the help of the arrested suspect.
Another Yoruba Nation - Police clashÂ
This week, a man caught in the crossfire between the Nigerian Police and members of the Yoruba Nation died. The incident occurred during a Yoruba Nation Rally in Ojota.Â
Yoruba Nation members claim the chaos started when police arrived at the scene and shot teargas to disperse the crowd.
In a video that went viral, a man is seen alleging the death of two members of the group and threatening to set police station in Ojota ablaze. (Trigger warning)
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police didnât shoot anyone but went there to disperse the gathering and maintain order.
He said the gathering was unlawful because the organisers didnât inform the police beforehand as the ought to.
Hundeyin said the police âstepped in to disperse the unlawful gathering and the miscreants attacked the police, shooting, and destroyed two vehicles in the processâ.
He says the police are âworking onâ the video of the young man that threatened to set our station ablaze.
This is the second time this clash has killed someone. In 2020, a woman who worked in the area, named Jumoke Oyeleke, was shot by a police officer during another Yoruba Nation - Police clash.
Problem, meet the FGâs solution!
Worried about police constantly killing citizens for no reason? So is the FG. But donât worry, theyâre fixing it!Â
To stop the âmindless killing of citizensâ the FG has organised a one-day(!) sensitisation and capacity-building workshop on emotional intelligence to educate police officers and finally put an end to it.Â
Pan African InsecurityÂ
Mali's military junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, pardoned the 49 Ivorian soldiers convicted of undermining Mali's state security and conspiracy against the government on Friday - Aricanews
Six journalists have been detained by South Sudan security forces over viral footage of the countryâs president apparently peeing on himself - The Guardian
Police in Kenya is investigating the death of young fashion designer and LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba after his body was found dumped in a metal box by the roadside near the town of Eldoret - BBC
Other
The Plateau state police command has apprehended a pastor by the name Albarka Sukuya for staging his kidnap and demanding money from members of his congregation - Guardian NGÂ
The body of an unidentified adult male who drowned while riding on a jet ski at the Lekki-Ikoyi inland waterways in Lagos State on Wednesday has been recovered - Punch
Shipments of used smartphones, including officially refurbished and used smartphones, reached 282.6 million units in 2022, where its unit growth represented an 11.5 per cent increase over the 253.4 million units shipped in 2021. Guardian
Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has says they killed 52 terrorists in several encounters with troops during the Christmas holidays - Gardian Ng
The European Commission on Thursday banned imports of seafood caught in Cameroonâs waters or caught by ships flagged there, and it labelled the West African country as ânon-cooperatingâ in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing - Washington Post