News Agency of Nigeria
Politics

U.S Institute mulls collaboration on peace building, trains community members

By Angela Atabo

US Institute of Peace (USIP),has advocated collaborative effort towards peace building in Nigeria and equipping community members in conflict states with mediation and dialogue skills.

Dr Chris Kwaja, Interim USIP Country Director Nigeria, made this known at the Network of Nigerian Facilitators workshop themed: “Reflections and Prospects for the Future” on Thursday in Abuja”.

According to Kwaja, USIP works across the world, both with government and non governmental actors in ensuring a peaceful world, supporting conflict states by training men and women with peace building skills specifically for mediation and dialogue .

He said that USIP has worked in over 11 states in Nigeria including Kano ,Rivers ,Kaduna Plateau ,Benue ,Adamawa ,Imo ,Katsina ,Borno,Nasarawa ,Yobe among others.

” Here in Nigeria, we are involved in peace related advocacy; we support local level actors who are involved in mediation and dialogue; we support governmental institutions that are committed to working for peace.

“We are involved in the governance space, because you have a government that is committed to a peaceful society.

”Then people will be able to benefit from the dividends of democracy which has to do with the rule of law, participation of citizens, diversity, equity and inclusion.

” This is because these are some of the key drivers of disenchantment and discontent in our society, these are some of the issues we advocate for, support and pursue across the world working with research centres, civic groups at the community level.

” We build their capacities in the area of mediation and dialogue and they have been quite active in supporting our communities to identify commonalities around this whole notion of shared humanity.”

Kwaja said that the first responsibility of every government in a diverse society as Nigeria, was that the leadership must be committed to the management of diversity.

He said that the government should be true to the oath of office with a conscious effort to ensure allocation of resources is done in a way that shows equity , fairness and justice among all individuals and groups.

Kwaja said that the conference brought together men and women supprt3r by USIP across the country forefathers engagements.

” We have two cohorts of the Nigerian network of facilitators; we have trained them with peacebuilding skills specific to mediation and dialogue.

” They are able to facilitate dialogues, they are able to support communities and groups across the country to come together to work collaboratively towards a peaceful society.

“Many of them came from communities that have been in conflict, but today as a result of the kind of work they have done across those communities, these communities are peaceful today.

“These community is now value the importance of living together as people that are harmonious, not just tolerating each other, but they are living in harmony,”he said

Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director- General of Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), said that the institution’s goal was to use the non kinetic, non violent approach to resolving conflicts in Nigeria.

” I think that it is time for us to take a second look and begin to reverse the gear and re-engage a non violent, non combative approach on how we deal with our differences in the country.

“We are going to be using more of an all stakeholders engagement collaborative approach; we are going to be using issues around mediation, negotiation, and how communities need to engage themselves together.

There has been a lot of mystification of violence conflict particularly when you look at the issues of farmers herders clashes .

”They are all criminalised and these violence actors are all intertwined .

Ochogwu said:” We need to begin to unpack, to identify the challenges. Until we do that we might just be wasting so much money using the kinetic approach. We need to provide and understand through research.

”Our research will provide a pathway for these engagements for the stakeholders.

” We are engaging with both state and non-state actors at the top and at the bottom for us to achieve what we need to achieve. We are ready to engage with the new approach.”

A participant and member of the network ,Mr Ruben Buhari,said collaboration between government organisations and individuals was needed to be able to have the kind of peace that was desired in a commadded; unity.

“If we can have this training replicated in most of the conflicts hotspots that we have in this country it is going to help, especially places like Benue ,Plateau Kaduna and other Northern parts and conflict areas in Nigeria .”(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

EU-SDGN advocates inclusive government, calls for appointment of PWDs in public offices
Politics

EU-SDGN advocates inclusive government, calls for appointment of PWDs in public offices

By Angela Atabo

The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) has called for an inclusive government and appointment of persons with disabilities into key positions in the country.

Members of the EU-SDGN said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja at the end of the ‘Able to Serve” event.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EU-SDGN is an European Union funded programme, aimed at reinforcing democracy in Nigeria through six component areas.

The areas included support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), support to the National Assembly, judiciary and political parties.

Others were support to media, support to women, youth and persons with disabilities and support to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Mr Jake Epelle, Chief Executive Officer, TAF Africa, and implementing partner for EU-SDGN said there was need for Nigeria, especially the current administration, to hear the voicess of PWDs that they were qualified for any and every appointive office.

“The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should take the bull by the horns and appoint persons with disabilities as Ministers.

“Let him take pride in being the first President to do that; Elected Governors across the sub-national should also appoint persons with disabilities as Commissioners.

“We are grateful that in the past, we have been appointed Special Advisers and some other Heads of Establishments, especially establishments for PWDs , but we need to go a notch higher. Who says we cannot be Ministers?,” he said.

Epelle called on governments at all levels to appoint a person with disability as Minister.

“Hold me responsible and we will make sure that, that person will perform. We may be disabled in our physical body, but we have the ability in our brain.

“If you take us out of governance, then what you’re going to run is an exclusive government, and an exclusive government is not a government of national unity,” he said.

Epelle said that if Nigeria truly want to run a government of national unity, then that government should be inclusive of all, irrespective of their gender, status and religion.

He said that whatever needed to be done so that everyone would sit on the table would be the way forward.

Epelle said that PWDs were very prepared to serve.

According to him, they are PhD and Master’s degree holders, but it’s not just about the degree but because of their preparation for leadership.

“We have the right people that will make us proud. Just give us the opportunity, that is what we are asking for. When you pursue true inclusion, it eliminates cultural stereotypes.

“Service is not written on anybody’s face. Give everybody that is qualified the chance to serve. Don’t give us a Minister because we are PWDs.

“Give us a Minister because we have the ability to run that office, make a difference and be part of nation building,” he said.

Ms Auta Lois, Founder, Network of Women with Disabilities, said there was need to remind policy makers and decision makers, traditional leaders, clergy, student groups, civil society organizations, media institutions, and other stakeholders that PWDs have the right to be appointed and elected into a public office.

Dr Chike Okogwu, Founder, Center for Ability, Rehabilitation and Empowerment (CARE), said the impact of the kind of programme, “Able to Serve”, would increase inclusion of persons with disabilities in governance.

Okogwu said that including persons with disabilities in governance should not be only because they were PWDs.

He said that beyond them being persons with disabilities, their capacity to deliver on the job given to them should play another important role.

The EU-SDGN cohort noted that there cannot be strong, effective and legitimate democratic institutions without the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities.

He said that while majority of PWDs were not elected in the just concluded general elections, there was still an opportunity for their inclusion in appointive positions in government at National and State levels.

NAN reports that members of EU-SDGN cohort included DAI Global, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Yiaga Africa, Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), ElectHER, and TAF Africa.

Others were SOS Children’s Villages, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Justice Development and Peace Initiative, and Justice, Development & Peace Makers’ Centre (JDPMC). (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chidinma Agu/Ali Baba-Inuwa

ADSI pledges support for Tinubu on women, youth engagement
General News

ADSI pledges support for Tinubu on women, youth engagement

By Ruth Oketunde

The Board and members of Arewa Development Support Initiative (ADSI) have pledged to support President Bola Tinubu in his policies with focus on women and youth empowerment.

ADSI President Hajiya Khuraira Musa said this in a statement in Abuja.

Musa, who commended the president for demonstrating uncommon skills and understanding of the many challenges that had held Nigeria back for decades, promised of their readiness to support the president.

“This singular act has earned the president the recognition and confidence of not only Nigerians, but the global community.

“His efficient and effective actions for the socio-economic development of Nigeria and the sub-region have led to the sudden return of investors’ confidence in the stock market, uptick in oil production, increase in electricity generation with positive outlook in employment.

“The president has said among others that Nigeria will be impartially governed and women and youth will feature prominently.

“These words are commitments of a true leader on a mission to build a new and working Nigeria”, she said.

She, however, assured the president of the organisation’s readiness to support the government in the areas of youths and women empowerment, girl-child education and skills acquisition, especially in the northern part of the country.

“ADSI has demonstrated these capacities with proven track record in all of the 19 states of the northern part of the country.

“With hope that the age-long conflict between herders and farmers will be resolved, communities will be rebuilt and lives will return to normal.

“ADSI presents a veritable channel for the government in achieving some of these goals,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ayodeji Alabi/Kayode Olaitan

We’ll not be laid back legislators- Ningi
Politics

We’ll not be laid back legislators- Ningi

By Naomi Sharang

Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) says senators at the 10th National Assembly will not be a laid back legislators.

Ningi who represents Bauchi Central, said this when he spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday saying that they were not going to be confrontational.

“We are not going to be confrontational as we have never been. But we are not going to be laid back legislators. To make sure we understand some things, we make sure they understand our powers to make sure that we understand our limitations.

“We will outrightly inform the Executive of our powers under the Constitution, under the House Rules and under the legislative matters privileges.

“We are not going to be caged. I am very happy this afternoon that the first thing that the Senate President did was to call for an executive session with very exhausive deliberations.

“And am happy he has started on a very clean slate. “I can see that he is ready for this job and we have assured him that once he gives us our respect, we are going to accord him our full loyalty,” he said.

Ningi added:” We will also caution him that in spite of whatever happened, the Senate is the Institution that made him Senate President and the chairman of the National Assembly.

“Because he is a ranking senator he understands that on behalf of the people of this country over the years things have not been done so well that time will give us another opportunity to redo what we have not been able to do in the last couple of years.”

Ningi, a former Deputy Leader of the Senate, said that the nation was facing uncertainties some months ago, but with with the inauguration of the National Assembly, Nigerians would benefit from their experiences.(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

NGO assisted 420 indigent pre-trial detainees, empowers 102 female inmates in 5 years
General News

NGO assisted 420 indigent pre-trial detainees, empowers 102 female inmates in 5 years

By Ruth Oketunde

Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA), a non-profit organisation, says it has provided legal representation to no fewer than 420 indigent pre-trial detainees in the last five years.

Ms Funke Adeoye, Executive Director of the organisation, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the organisation, on Wednesday in Abuja.

She said that the organisation had also empowered no fewer than 102 female inmates with vocational and life skills to help them earn money while in prison.

She added that to reduce prison congestion and activate criminal justice reforms in the country, the organisation had also supported over 7,000 indigent persons with diverse interventions.

According to her, Nigeria’s prison population was 76,982, as at May 30 and the inmates awaiting trial constitute about 69.3 per cent of the prison population, which must be reduced.

Adeoye said that the figure is the highest percentage of awaiting-trial prisoners in Africa, according to the World Prison Brief’s report, which puts the figure at 12.4 per cent for Ghana and 32.9 per cent for South Africa.

The executive-director added that it would continue to advance access to justice using a multi-pronged approach.

“We started out directly representing inmates for free here in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and expanded to Kano and Edo states.

“Currently, we have a network of lawyers in Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Edo, Kano and FCT. We have represented 420 indigent pre-trial detainees so far.

“About 40 per cent of this number were charged with simple offences, 20 per cent for misdemeanors, and the rest for felonies, capital crimes and fundamental human rights actions.

“About 80 per cent of these cases were taken from inmates during visits to the custodial centres, while 20 per cent were based on referral and at the police stage.

According to her, the results from these cases ranged from convictions, discharges for lack of diligent prosecution, successful no-case submissions, withdrawals of complaints and acquittals.

“In all these results, our main goal is to provide adequate legal representation and to make sure that the rights of indigent pre-trial detainees are not prejudiced.

“Evidently, with the cases we handled, we cut the time that would otherwise be spent awaiting trial by at least 50 per cent and saved taxpayers money that would have been spent on wrongful incarceration,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured the unveiling of the 5-year Impact Report/Strategic Plan of the NGO.(NAN)(www.nannees.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Senators hail emergence of Akpabio as 10th Senate President
Politics

Senators hail emergence of Akpabio as 10th Senate President

By Naomi Sharang

A cross-section of the newly inaugurated senators have commended the emergence of Sen. God’swill Akpabio (APC-Akwa-Ibom) and Sen. Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano) as Senate President and Deputy Senate President of the 10th Assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akpabio and Jibrin were on Tuesday, inaugurated as leaders of the 10th Senate.

Sen. Neda Imasuen (LP-Edo) commended the emergence of the duo.

He said that with the multiplicity of parties in the National Assembly, there would be a robust parliament.

“I’m very excited because we now have a robust parliament. It used to be two parties and we now have eight parties in the Senate.

“So the conversation will not be one sided or two sided; the conversation is going to be more robust and enterprising.

“It is going to be a situation where the debates cannot be partisan, it has to be a Nigerian debate. It is going to be good and better for the country.”

Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP- Bauchi) said that the election was free and fair without much anticipated drama.

“That is what makes the institution of the Senate different. The animosity, the fear of what happened in the last two days completely vanished.

“You go into the hall and you see how people are embracing themselves and that is parliament and that is democracy.

“We have refused to be intimidated by any enforcement and that is why we said there must be an election.

“And those who came with the idea of theater party and the sitting government had the day we have no problem.

“We know we are in the minority. The position I took was not the position of my party but that of the minority caucus and you could see not all of us actually voted on the same page.

“Some people actually went to negotiate and that is parliament. But I believe in the six months or so we are going to bind together by putting the nation first.”

For Sen. Ede Dafinone (APC-Delta), it was a great day. The 10th Senate has been launched.

“We have a dynamic Senate President with an outstanding Deputy both with excellent reputation and excellent track records.

“We are hoping and praying they will follow the lead already given by  President Bola Tinubu who has hit the ground running. He has shone Nigerians that he is ready to get the job done and the national assembly must support him to do that.

“With two dynamic leaders in position, I hope Nigerians will see that the Senate is ready to hit the ground running as soon as possible.”

Dafinone said that he would bring his 30 years experience and qualification in accounting to bear as he takes up the task of legislation.

“In terms of the environment and accounting, I have quite some expertise. But aside from that, I’m a manufacturer and exporter. I have a rubber plantation in Delta we export rubber to Europe and China. I have been doing that for over 20 years.”

Sen. Osita Izunaso (APC-Imo) who had earlier stepped down for Akpabio  said that the most important thing was that democracy has been deepened.

“So it is not about winner or loser. There was no winner or loser because we are still first among equals.

“And you have to work diligently to carry the Senate along. The Senate is far different from the Executive where one man calls the shot. We are all equals; we are all colleagues; we are all sworn in today as senators.

“I wish Akpabio well as Senate President. If I had won, I would also expect him to support me. I will give him support.”

One of the female senators Ipalibo Banigo (PDP-Rivers) said that the 10th Assembly would be a transformational assembly that would touch lives of Nigerians

“Nigerians will feel our impact, ” she said.

She thanked God and her constituents, Rivers West for electing her into the position.

“I will make sure that everything that is a problem to my constituents is given due attention in the Senate, in the National Assembly.

“As a woman, I will work with other women to progress on the issue of gender.”

Sen. Francis Fadahunsi (PDP-Osun) said that the election was keenly contested.

“We will work together to ensure a rancour-free parliament.”(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Southeast senators-elect endorse Akpabio/Barau to lead 10th Senate
Politics

Southeast senators-elect endorse Akpabio/Barau to lead 10th Senate

By Naomi Sharang

Senators of Southeast geo-political zone on Monday endorsed Sen. Godswill Akpabio (APC-Akwa-Ibom) and Sen. Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano) as their choice candidates for Senate President and Deputy Senate President of the 10th Assembly, respectively.

The 10th Assembly is due for inauguration on Tuesday.

Imo’s Gov. Hope Uzodinma made this known in Abuja after a meeting he held with the 15 senators-elect of the Southeast geo-political zone.

“It was a meeting of the Southeast caucus of the Senate. All the 15 of them attended the meeting.

“We resolved to toe the line of the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate to support Akpabio and Barau.

“As it has to do with the Senate president and the Deputy Senate president, the APC, with most senators-elect has preferred and recommended Sen. Akpabio and Sen. Jibrin.

“We have already agreed that we will vote according to the recommendation of our great party.

“We don’t want to go into any controversy of going into unnecessary blind opposition.

“We want to work under a constructive partnership across party lines in the Southeast region and that is actually my position.

“It is a good development for the region and for the unity of the nation,’’ Uzodinma told newsmen.

The Imo governor is also the chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum (governors of APC-controlled states).

He noted that democracy is about engagements, discussions and dialogues.

“People are entitled to have aspirations. Because we are practicing partisan democracy, it is always assumed that loyalty to the party will always prevail.

“Whether you are Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or APC, Southeast is southeast and leadership is leadership.

“We think we will be more organised in the interest and unity of the country to work with the ruling party so our people will also have the opportunity to get dividends of democracy,’’ Uzodinma stressed.

“Engagement is continuing. I am leaving now for an important meeting to engage some senators-elect with opposing views to the choices already made.

“The rule of the business is; you will disagree first before you will agree. So having disagreed all these while, between now and Tuesday morning, we will all agree,’’ the governor added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Alli Hakeem

BRICS Business Council engages Nigeria to expand opportunities in Africa
Foreign

BRICS Business Council engages Nigeria to expand opportunities in Africa

By Lizzy Okoji

The South African BRICS Business Council says it will be engaging Nigerian businesses and the private sector players, to expand trade and investment opportunities in Africa.

Chairperson of the council, Ms Busi Mabuza stated this in a virtual interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

According her, she will be on a working visit to engage with relevant partners in Nigeria in July.

Mabuza said that Nigeria played a critical role in the continent and had one of the most entrepreneurial cultures and experience in the world.

She said that considering the importance of Nigeria, South Africa was expecting to host a sizeable number of Nigerian delegation to the 2023 BRICS summit scheduled to hold in Augusut, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“My visit to Nigeria on July 4 and July 5 is to meet with business leaders and ask them to join hands with us so that we showcase the best of Africa to the rest of the world.

“And we cannot do that without Nigeria, the business people, from the continent,” she said.

Mabuza lauded Nigeria for thriving in other sectors, even though it was an oil reliant nation.

This, according to her, is one of the success secrets she will love Nigeria to share with other countries of the region.

According to Mabuza, making the agricultural sector attractive, innovative with more incentives, and creating an enabling environment for Small Medium Enterprises will draw the younger generation into harnessing the potentials in the sector.

“So far as agric business is concerned, there are very exciting opportunities across all manner of value chains.

“If we look at the example of India which is very similar in every way to us, technical support to rural based Small and Medium Enterprises is absolutely critical.

“Financial support on its own is not enough for these players, we need to couple it with opening up markets for these players. And that is where the common agro parks are so important.

“Another thing that the small players cannot afford to pay attention to is the agric-technology, because of its cost. So, the lessons are many and the interest is absolutely amazing.

“We saw last year, India announcing a two billion dollars investment in their agroparks because they have the opportunity to actually success going forward.

“And we believe that as an African continent, we are going to be attracting the investments if we are able to implement of this,” Mabuza said.

Responding to questions on Nigeria joining the BRICS nation, Mabuza said that it would be exciting.

She noted that there were engagements, as quite a number of countries had knocked off the doors of the BRICS formation, to seek membership and expansion.

“Nigeria is an important, critical anchor to the African countries, so I will be delighted if Nigeria were to join as soon as possible, if the membership is expanded,” she said.

Also speaking in the expectations from the new administration in Nigeria, which focused on improving the economy, Mabuza noted that there were expectations of an exploding growth rate, as was in the case of India, when she had her reforms.

Looking at the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war on the globe, Mabuza said it was time for Africa to walk away from its over dependency on other nations and be self-reliant.

NAN reports that the BRICS Business Council was established during the 2013 BRICS Summit.

The Council comprises of 25 prominent entrepreneurs drawn from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, representing different industries and sectors in BRICS member countries.

It meets twice a year, and the final report is presented to BRICS leaders at the Summit. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Rabiu Sani-Ali

BRICS Summit to focus on opening Africa’s market to global investment
Foreign

BRICS Summit to focus on opening Africa’s market to global investment

By Lizzy Okoji

Opening Africa’s market to global investors, unlocking trade barriers on the continents will top discussions when Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the BRICS nation, meet in Johannesburg, South-Africa, in August.

Ms Busi Mabuza, the Chair of the South African BRICS Business Council, disclosed this in a virtual interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

Mabuza said that the 2023 BRICS Summit in August would centre on the theme “BRICS and Africa Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”.

She explained that the goal is to create attractive opportunities for foreign investment, boost export capacities of countries in the continent in order to expand Africa’s economy and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate.

The SA BRICS Council Chair said that the council also intend to adopt a pragmatic approach in addressing trade patterns that would see all partner markets and Africa benefiting from the BRICS cooperation.

Mabuza said that it would be a knowledge sharing meeting, with African nations also taking notes for the successes of other BRICS nations to improve their own economy and market.

“This is the third time that South Africa will be hosting the BRICS nations and each time it has been BRICS and Africa because we believe in the attractiveness of this continent not just one to an economy of its own.

“We are going to be having experts from the BRICS nations coming in and including our own. We do have experts on the African continent that can add value to all of these discussions.

“They are going to be discussions around the impact of climate change, agro-business, on farming, discussions around how to create geoprocessing units so that you are not just exporting the raw produce, the raw foods, it is important to export the processed ones as well.

“So, we expect that the experts would be sharing that knowledge with us.

“But what is critically important is that when we close those engagements, we go out and implement as a continent,” Mabuza said.

She said that although South Africa is the only African nation in the BRICS formation, it has remained a voice of the continent in the bloc.

“We believe in the attractiveness of this continent is not just one to an economy of its own.

“And with the African Continental Free Trade Area, now kicking into implementation gear, I believe that our composition to the preparedness is going to be much more compending than perhaps it has been in the past.

“What is going to be different this time is that we have composed that the focus on trade and investment needs to be sharpened.

“The BRICS economies have grown immeasurably since we joined the BRICS formation, however, a translation on the trade and investment side for the continent has been a bit lopsided and our partners agree that it is time that we focus on rebalancing that.

“They also need to take some value-added materials from us, we are taking value added materials from them and I believe that it is a good thing for us and transforming on that front,” Mabuza said.

NAN reports that the BRICS 2023 Summit under the Chair of South Africa would be inviting 20 Heads of State, multilateral and international partners to the event. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

IPMAN hails Tinubu for subsidy removal, tasks him on palliatives
Economy/Business

IPMAN hails Tinubu for subsidy removal, tasks him on palliatives

By Angela Atabo

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has commended President Bola Tinubu for subsidy removal and tasked him on palliatives for Nigerians.

Mr Debo Ahmed, National President of IPMAN, said this while addressing newsmen in Abuja .

Ahmed said that for a long time IPMAN had been very supportive of the removal of fuel subsidy because of its implication on the economy and the market space.

He added that a lot of money that should be channelled to the development of country was used on subsidy.

“I commend the president for removing subsidy on his first day in office. He has tried.

“He did a very good job. Previous government found it difficult to remove subsidy.”

According to Ahmed, not that they do not want to remove it because the political exigency is more than economic exigency to them.

“If you remember, during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s time, they came with appropriate pricing, deregulation.

“They gave it all sort of names but they could not do it; Obasanjo was only increasing the price, you increase the price the thing is still there because we are importing.

“So president Tinubu has done a good job and it is going to help this country a lot,” he said.

Ahmed, however, said that the government needed to put palliatives package together for Nigerians because that was the area it was lacking.

He said putting some palliatives in place that would ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians and even the marketers would be helpful.

“The government should have started planning about palliatives like provision of buses, salary increase because it is not the government that will increase salaries but the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

” All these things should have been done but the government did not do all these things. I am sure that the new government is doing something about palliatives.”

Ahmed said there were other lingering issues that needed to be addressed .

He said that before now, it was only
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) that was importing while all the marketers depended on NNPCL to get their products.

“When the subsidy removal was announced, we had a lot of tickets that are pending.

” We have up to N5 billion worth of tickets that are pending with NNPCL retail that we have not been able to access.

“Most of these monies were borrowed from the banks and our members are not enthusiastic to go and load because they don’t know what happened to their tickets.

” We are trying to meet with the management of NNPC to discuss these issues amicably,” he said.

According to Ahmed, IPMAN controls 70 per cent of the market and the purpose of establishing IPMAN has been achieved.

He said that with IPMAN units, it would be better for the country because it would be able to import more products and crash the price in the long run for the benefit of Nigerians.

He said that IPMAN could do a lot to bring prices of petroleum product down.

He said that IPMAN was in a position to bring in a lot of products to make sure that the price dropped a little .

” Since the market has been deregulated, a lot of people will bring in products and when the products come, the law of economics that is supply and demand will set it and certainly prices will go down.”(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

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