In its editorial of 2nd August, 2024, the BusinessDay newspaper, characteristically, launched another scurrilous and baseless attack on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). In the editorial entitled: “NNPCL: Liability or Asset to Nigerians?”, the newspaper set out to paint the picture of NNPC Ltd that is a liability to Nigeria instead of an asset that it should be. It chronicled a litany of issues which in its estimation have made the company to lose its place as an asset to the nation. As to be expected, all the issues it raised were either outright lies or unfair misrepresentation of facts. Let’s take a look at them one by one. According to the newspaper, NNPC Ltd.’s status as an asset is undercut by the opacity of its operations and corruption. The truth, however, is that this is a regurgitation of age-long allegations that have since been overtaken by the emergence of Mr. Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the company and the transition of the old NNPC as a corporation into a limited liability company under the Petroleum Industry Act. One of the key thrusts of the Kyari-led management since 2019 has been its focus on transparency and accountability. This was what gave rise to the Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) management philosophy under which the company’s audited financial statements began to be published annually since 2019. In fact, the same BusinessDay newspaper that is so bent on hanging the tag of opacity on the company actually honoured Kyari with its “Energy Executive of the Year” award in 2021 for turning the fortunes of the company around and entrenching the culture of transparency in the company. But out of sheer mischief, the newspaper has forgotten so soon and chosen to borrow some ignoble tricks from Josef Goebbel’s playbook, that of repeating the lies of opacity and corruption against the NNPC Ltd frequently with the hope of sustaining the propaganda just so well the public would believe the lies to be the truth. The next point made in the editorial is that of mismanagement of resources and inefficiency. In its bid to present a semblance of balance, the newspaper acknowledged the role of government interference in the company. A bulk of the legacy problems, such as the age-long lack of maintenance of the refineries, is traceable to government interference. Any old refinery staff member of the NNPC Ltd will tell you that NNPC engineers used to carry out the turn-around maintenance of the refineries until past governments started dabbling in to influence contracts for their cronies. However, with the PIA, all that is behind as the NNPC Ltd now operates as a limited liability company under the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). As is presently constituted, the company is owned by the government through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated and the Ministry of Petroleum. But the PIA envisages that in no distant time, the company will be listed on the stock exchange with shares owned by Nigerians in their individual capacities. But prior to that time, the management of the company under Kyari has instituted a management system encapsulated in the Performance Excellence element of the TAPE philosophy. Under this, the company has made great strides in moving from a position of loss in 2019 to consistent profitability. This is in spite of the fact that the company contends with monstrous odds in the form of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism. The fact is that companies like Saudi Aramco, with which the newspaper tried to benchmark the NNPC Ltd, do not contend with such odds that have very practical implications for crude oil production. The newspaper is only being disingenuous in blaming the nation’s suboptimal crude oil production on inefficiency in the NNPC Ltd when it is common knowledge that the security challenges are not of the company’s making. But even at that, the NNPC Ltd has not fared badly in managing the bad situation to get the results that it has been posting in the past few years. The truth is that the current reality of the NNPC Ltd, in terms of management and performance, does not reflect the picture of mismanagement and inefficiency that the BusinessDay tried to paint in its editorial. The question that arises from all this, which the BusinessDay must answer, is: do companies that have issues with mismanagement of resources and inefficiency make profits as the NNPC Ltd has consistently done in the past three years? The other issue that has stymied the NNPC Ltd from being an asset to the nation, according to the BusinessDay, is its monopolistic control of the petroleum sector. Supporting its position, the newspapers states: “The corporation’s dominant position as the sole importer of petrol and the primary issuer of import licenses for diesel creates market distortions”. This allegation, coming from a business newspaper like the BusinessDay, is very curious. For the newspaper to state that NNPC Ltd is the “primary issuer of import licenses for diesel” shows how little it knows about the oil and gas industry. It only means that the BusinessDay either does not know the difference between an industry regulator and an operator or it just wants to take its mischief to a ridiculous level, hoping that the public would swallow its lies hook, line, and sinker. For the avoidance of doubt, NNPC Ltd does not issue import licenses for diesel or any petroleum product for that matter. This is because, NNPC Ltd, as provided in Section 64 of the PIA, is an operator just like any other company that operates in the oil and gas sector, and not a regulator. The PIA makes provision for the establishment of two regulatory agencies in the sector. They are the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The newspaper actually acknowledged these two regulatory agencies in the editorial. But how it came by the idea that the NNPC Ltd issues import licenses to marketers, a clear regulatory function, is really difficult to understand. This, however, goes to show that the newspaper and its editors know very little about the subject matter of their editorial. On the allegation that NNPC Ltd runs a monopoly in the importation of petrol, here are the facts that the BusinessDay failed to acknowledge in its editorial. When the downstream sector was deregulated on 29th May, 2023, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration that fuel subsidy was gone, every petroleum marketer was automatically empowered to import the product and sell at whatever price(s) they chose. NNPC Ltd only stepped in to close the gap as a supplier of last resort, a role assigned to it by the framers of the PIA to guarantee energy security for the nation. NNPC Ltd did not muscle any marketer out of petrol importation to become a monopoly. Besides, it does not look like the company is making any profit from being the sole importer of petrol which is usually the major objective of monopolists. In fact, by playing this role of sole importer of petrol at this time when others are not able to import the product, NNPC Ltd has proved to be a huge asset to the nation- much more of an asset than the BusinessDay would want Nigerians and the world to believe! Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, wrote in from Abuja.
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has expressed disappointment in the content of President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide address to Nigerians regarding the ongoing protests across the country. In a statement today, August 4, Soyinka expressed concern over the government’s handling of the ongoing nationwide protests. According to Professor Soyinka, the presidential address outlined the government’s remedial actions since inception but fell short in addressing the way the protest was managed. He condemned the use of live bullets and tear gas against peaceful protesters, describing it as a “retrogression” that takes the nation back to colonial-era acts of disdain. “I set my alarm clock for this morning to ensure that I did not miss President Bola Tinubu’s impatiently awaited address to the nation on the current unrest across the nation. “His outline of government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis. “My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short. “Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals. “Live bullets as state response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even tear gas remains questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest. “Hunger marches constitute a universal S.O.S, not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong, indeed in a class of their own, never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters. “They serve as summons to governance that a breaking point has been reached and thus, a testing ground for governance awareness of public desperation. The tragic response to the ongoing hunger marches in parts of the nation, and for which notice was served, constitutes a retrogression that takes the nation even further back than the deadly culmination of the watershed ENDSARS protests. “It evokes pre-independence, that is, colonial acts of disdain, a passage that induced the late stage pioneer, Hubert Ogunde’s folk opera BREAD AND BULLETS, earning that nationalist serial persecution and proscription by the colonial government.” Professor Soyinka said that the “nation’s security agencies cannot pretend unawareness of alternative models for emulation, civilized advances in security intervention. “Need we recall the nationwide 2022/23 editions of what is generally known as the YELLOW VEST movement in France? “Perhaps it is time to make such scenarios compulsory viewing in policing curriculum. In all of the coverage that I watched, I did not catch one single instance of a gun leveled at protesters, much less fired at them even during direct physical confrontations. “The serving of bullets where bread is pleaded is ominous retrogression, and we know what that eventually proves–a prelude to far more desperate upheavals, not excluding revolutions. “The time is long overdue, surely, to abandon, permanently, the anachronistic resort to lethal means by the security agencies of governance. No nation is so under-developed, materially impoverished, or simply internally insecure as to lack the will to set an example. “All it takes is to recall its own history, then exercise the will to commence a lasting transformation, inserting a break in the chain of lethal responses against civic society. “Today’s marchers may wish to consider adopting the key songs of Hubert Ogunde’s BREAD AND BULLETS, if only to inculcate a sense of shame in the continuing failure to transcend the lure of colonial inheritance where we all were at the receiving end. “One way or the other, Tinubu’s vicious circle must be broken.”
Former Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has “vehemently” condemned what he called “the heinous act” of using live ammunition on citizens peacefully protesting against bad governance. “This is utterly intolerable and reminiscent of the dark days of military dictatorship.” In a statement today, August 4, Atiku, who was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate in the 2023 election, reminded the government of President Bola Tinubu and security agencies that their paramount duty is to ensure a safe and secure environment where citizens can exercise their right to protest without fear. He said that when security forces open fire on innocent protesters, they exacerbate tensions, and transforming peaceful demonstrations into chaos. “I refuse to believe that inciting violence is the intention of our authorities. “I urge the international community, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, to closely monitor the situation in Nigeria and hold its leadership and security apparatus accountable. “I reaffirm my counsel to protesters to steadfastly exercise their right to peaceful protest and reject any form of violence. “Those engaging in looting and the destruction of public and private property must be isolated and prosecuted according to the law. By indulging in such acts, they undermine the legitimate protests and play into the hands of those who oppose their right to protest. “President Tinubu must demonstrate true leadership by immediately addressing and implementing the demands of the Nigerian people.”
President Bola Tinubu has expressed anger over the killing of Nigerians and destruction of public properties in parts of the country by the youths in the name of protest, ordering security operatives to continue to maintain peace, law and order. He however asked the security operatives on duty to follow all the necessary conventions on human rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory. “The safety and security of all Nigerians are paramount.” President Tinubu, in a nationwide Radio and television broadcast today, August 4, said that he was pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. “The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them.” The President stressed that he must ensure public order, saying that in line with his constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, he will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear the nation apart. Tinubu rolled out a lot of Programmes and projects for the revival of the country from its dead past, and enjoined protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, “which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity. “Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all – regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation. “To those who have taken undue advantage of this situation to threaten any section of this country, be warned: The law will catch up with you. “There is no place for ethnic bigotry or such threats in the Nigeria we seek to build.” Read the full text of the President’s broadcast: My fellow Nigerians, 1. I speak to you today with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility, aware of the turmoil and violent protests unleashed in some of our states. 2. Notably among the protesters were young Nigerians who desired a better and more progressive country where their dreams, hopes, and personal aspirations would be fulfilled. 3. I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them. 4. I commiserate with the families and relations of those who have died in the protests. We must stop further bloodshed, violence and destruction. 5. As President of this country, I must ensure public order. In line with my constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart. 6. Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity. Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all – regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation. To those who have taken undue advantage of this situation to threaten any section of this country, be warned: The law will catch up with you. There is no place for ethnic bigotry or such threats in the Nigeria we seek to build. 7. Our democracy progresses when the constitutional rights of every Nigerian are respected and protected. Our law enforcement agencies should continue to ensure the full protection of lives and properties of innocent citizens in a responsible manner. 8. My vision for our country is one of a just and prosperous nation where each person may enjoy the peace, freedom, and meaningful livelihood that only democratic good governance can provide – one that is open, transparent and accountable to the Nigerian people. 9. For decades, our economy has remained anaemic and taken a dip because of many misalignments that have stunted our growth. Just over a year ago, our dear country, Nigeria, reached a point where we couldn’t afford to continue the use of temporary solutions to solve long-term problems for the sake of now and our unborn generations. I therefore took the painful yet necessary decision to remove fuel subsidies and abolish multiple foreign exchange systems which had constituted a noose around the economic jugular of our Nation and impeded our economic development and progress. 10. These actions blocked the greed and the profits that smugglers and rent-seekers made. They also blocked the undue subsidies we had extended to our neighbouring countries to the detriment of our people, rendering our economy prostrate. These decisions I made were necessary if we must reverse the decades of economic mismanagement that didn’t serve us well. Yes, I agree, the buck stops on my table. But I can assure you that I am focused fully on delivering the governance to the people – good governance for that matter. 11. In the past 14 months, our government has made significant strides in rebuilding the foundation of our economy to carry us into a future of plenty and abundance. On the fiscal side, aggregate government revenues have more than doubled, hitting over 9.1 trillion Naira in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023 due to our efforts at blocking leakages, introducing automation, and mobilising funding creatively without additional burden on the people. Productivity is gradually increasing in the non-oil sector, reaching new levels and taking advantage of the opportunities in the current economic ambience 12. My dear brothers and sisters, we have come this far. Coming from a place where our country spent 97% of all our revenue on debt service; we have been able to reduce that to 68% in the last 13 months. We have also cleared legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5billion without any adverse impact on our programmes. 13. This has given us more financial freedom and the room to spend more money on you, our citizens, to fund essential social services like education and healthcare. It has also led to our State, and Local Governments receiving the highest allocations ever in our country’s history from the Federation Account. 14. We have also embarked on major infrastructure projects across the country. We are working to complete inherited projects critical to our economic prosperity, including roads, bridges, railways, power, and oil and gas developments. Notably, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway projects will open up 16 connecting states, creating thousands of jobs and boosting economic output through trade, tourism and cultural integration 15. Our once-declining oil and gas industry is experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms I announced in May 2024 to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act. Last month, we increased our oil production to 1.61million barrels per day, and our gas assets are receiving the attention they deserve. Investors are coming back, and we have already seen two Foreign Direct Investments signed of over half a billion dollars since then. 16. Fellow Nigerians, we are a country blessed with both oil and gas resources, but we met a country that had been dependent solely on oil-based petrol, neglecting its gas resources to power the economy. We were also using our hard-earned foreign exchange to pay for, and subsidise its use. To address this, we immediately launched our Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (CNG) to power our transportation economy and bring costs down. This will save over two trillion Naira a month, being used to import PMS and AGO and free up our resources for more investment in healthcare and education. 17. To this end, we will be distributing a million kits of extremely low or no cost to commercial vehicles that transport people and goods and who currently consume 80% of the imported PMS and AGO. 18. We have started the distribution of conversion kits and setting up of conversion centres across the country in conjunction with the private sector. We believe that this CNG initiative will reduce transportation costs by approximately 60 per cent and help to curb inflation. 19. Our administration has shown its commitment to the youth by setting up the student loan scheme. To date, 45.6billion Naira has already been processed for payment to students and their respective institutions 20. I encourage more of our vibrant youth population to take advantage of this opportunity. We established the Consumer Credit Corporation with over N200billion to help Nigerians to acquire essential products without the need for immediate cash payments, making life easier for millions of households. This will consequently reduce corruption and eliminate cash and opaque transactions. This week, I ordered the release of an additional N50billion Naira each for NELFUND – the student loan, and Credit Corporation from the proceeds of crime recovered by the EFCC 21. Additionally, we have secured $620million under the Digital and Creative Enterprises (IDiCE) – a programme to empower our young people, creating millions of IT and technical jobs that will make them globally competitive. These programmes include the 3Million Technical Talents scheme. Unfortunately, one of the digital centres was vandalised during the protests in Kano. What a shame! 22. In addition, we have introduced the Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA); the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA); and the National Youth Talent Export Programme (NATEP). 23. Also, more than N570 billion has been released to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to their citizens, while 600,000 nano-businesses have benefitted from our nano-grants. An additional 400,000 more nano-businesses are expected to benefit. 24. Furthermore, 75,000 beneficiaries have been processed to receive our N1million Micro and Small Business single-digit interest loans, starting this month. We have also built 10 MSME hubs within the past year, created 240,000 jobs through them and 5 more hubs are in progress which will be ready by October this year. 25. Payments of N1billion each are also being made to large manufacturers under our single-digit loans to boost manufacturing output and stimulate growth. 26. I signed the National Minimum Wage into law last week, and the lowest-earning workers will now earn at least N70,000 a month. 27. Six months ago in Karsana, Abuja, I inaugurated the first phase of our ambitious housing initiative, the Renewed Hope City and Estate. This project is the first of six we have planned across the nation’s geopolitical zones. Each of these cities will include a minimum of 1,000 housing units, with Karsana itself set to deliver 3,212 units 28. In addition to these city projects, we are also launching the Renewed Hope Estates in every state, each comprising 500 housing units. Our goal is to complete a total of 100,000 housing units over the next three years. This initiative is not only about providing homes but also about creating thousands of jobs across the nation as well as stimulating economic growth. 29. We are providing incentives to farmers to increase food production at affordable prices. I have directed that tariffs and other import duties should be removed on rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, drugs, and other pharmaceutical and medical supplies for the next 6 months, in the first instance, to help drive down the prices. 30. I have been meeting with our Governors and key Ministers to accelerate food production. We have distributed fertilisers. Our target is to cultivate more than 10 million hectares of land to grow what we eat. The Federal Government will provide all necessary incentives for this initiative, whilst the states provide the land, which will put millions of our people to work and further increase food production. In the past few months, we have also ordered mechanized farming equipment such as tractors and planters, worth billions of Naira from the United States, Belarus, and Brazil. I can confirm to you that the equipment is on the way. 31. My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens. 32. But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart. We must work together to build a brighter future, where every Nigerian can live with dignity and prosperity. 33. The task before us is a collective one, and I am leading the charge as your President. A lot of work has gone into stabilising our economy and I must stay focused on ensuring that the benefits reach every single Nigerian as promised. 34. My administration is working very hard to improve and expand our national infrastructure and create more opportunities for our young people. 35. Let nobody misinform and miseducate you about your country or tell you that your government does not care about you. Although there have been many dashed hopes in the past, we are in a new era of Renewed Hope. We are working hard for you, and the results will soon be visible and concrete for everyone to see, feel, and enjoy. 36. Let us work together to build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come. Let us choose hope over fear, unity over division, and progress over stagnation. The economy is recovering; Please, don’t shut out its oxygen. Now that we have been enjoying democratic governance for 25 years, do not let the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey. FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER! 37. In conclusion, security operatives should continue to maintain peace, law, and order in our country following the necessary conventions on human rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The safety and security of all Nigerians are paramount. 38. Thank God — and Thank you for your attention, and may God continue to bless our great Nation. Thank you very much.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on the media to stop giving what he described as “undue publicity” to the protests by some groups in the country. He lamented: “I noticed that all the stations were hooked up to the protests the other day. “The media should not do this. This is not an election.” Speaking to newsmen yesterday, August 2, General Musa said: “we don’t give them that coverage for them to feel. Some people just want to be on the screen. “They are a bunch of people who believe it is only through the protest that they will be able to loot, steal, and destroy.” The CDS said that most of the individuals causing chaos during the protests had been arrested, and assured the public of the continued support from the police and military. He said that phone numbers would be made available to members of the public to report any suspicious activity. General Musa said that the government had shown its commitment to allowing people to associate freely without restrictions. “The only snag is that the protests have degenerated. We are disappointed with the outcome of the protests. “The security forces, especially the Nigeria Police Force, have shown a lot of professionalism, including where members of the armed forces had to step in. “We have remained professional in our conduct and will continue to do so as long as the citizens understand the difference between peace and criminality.” The CDS described the initial phase of the protest as peaceful, but regretted that it was quickly taken over by criminals. He urged Nigerians to understand that the federal government is doing its best to address the country’s economic and security challenges.
Immediate past President Buhari is celebrating Olufunmilayo Mustapha as she clocks 60 today, August 3 and retiring from the federal civil service. In a statement today, August 3, his spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, quoted the former President as saying that besides being a director in the federal civil service, Olufunmilayo was also a strong pillar for her husband, Boss Gida Mustapha, who served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), in his government. Buhari stressed that Boss Mustapha “is a friend that was committed to building the future and proud history of our great nation. “With Olufunmilayo and the rest of the family on his side, Boss Mustapha had all the support he needed in playing a crucial role in ensuring the success of our administration.” Ex President Buhari commended the contribution of the former SGF’s wife to the country’s public service, “from which she retires today as a substantive director.” He made it clear that without the contribution of the civil service, the numerous achievements of his administration would not have been possible. “Civil servants like Olufunmilayo Mustapha will continue to inspire generations to come,” Buhari stressed, even as he wished her continued good health and success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of her family and the nation.
Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUN) has openly questioned what it called “hurriedly arranged world press conference” by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to tell all sorts of lies to the world about the 2024 Hajj operations. In a statement today, August 3, signed by the National President, Abdullateef Yusuf Ekundayo and the General Secretary, Muhammad Nasir Chamo, the group accused NAHCON of shortchanging pilgrims on international flight arrangement in the N90 Billion which the federal government granted as subsidy for all the Nigerian pilgrims. It stressed that under normal circumstances, the world press conference should be held with all the stakeholders in attendance, and as an essential avenue for all such stakeholders in the Hajj and Umrah management to air their views, raised questions and proffers solutions on the perennial failure of the Commission to conduct and manage a hitch free and delightful Hajj operation. “However, NAHCON used the occasion to blow its trumpet and presented misleading statistics as if everything went right without any problem in the just concluded Hajj 2024. As a responsible Association and a critical stakeholder in the Hajj and Umrah management in Nigeria, we feel oblige to inform Nigerians our experiences and true position particularly on some of those issues that affected our members. “For the records, we have never doubted or challenged the statutory right of NAHCON as the regulator and umpire in affairs of Hajj and Umrah in Nigeria. However, when an umpire decided to become an active player in any game, conflict of interest will set in and everything to do with fairness, rectitude and transparency comes to question. “Firstly, we would like Nigerians to know that none of the international Pilgrims received a dime out of the N90 Billion, graciously approved and released as subsidy to ease the burden of the high exchange rate, despite many promises by the Commission that our Pilgrims will be considered in any concession that is received from the government. “For the past 8 years, (with exception of the post COVID-19, Hajj), the Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia allocates 20,000 slots for the Nigerian private Tour Operators (International) which AHOUN represents and 75,000 to the conventional Pilgrims. This year about 14,000 Pilgrims performed the Hajj exercise through the international segment. “But we repeat, none of our members have benefited from the N90 Billion as NAHCON claimed to have distributed to Nigerians Pilgrims despite our demands. “Are the International Pilgrims not Nigerians? We’re determine to continue to ask for the share of these fund from the federal government for our Nigerian (Hujjaj) Pilgrims. “Another misleading information that directly affected our members was the unfortunate and avoidable incidence at the Tent ‘A’ (VIP Tent) Muna, where Nigerian dignitaries were subjected to myriads of harassments and disgrace. “The Commission tried to exonerate itself from any wrongdoing on the incidence and our members were painted as the culprits as they always wanted Nigerians to view Tour Operators as those responsible for their failures. “The NAHCON narrative was a self-serving propaganda. “The Commission single handedly selected and appointed all the service providers for the 2024 Hajj, which include Pilgrim’s accommodation providers, feeding, tents and transportation services among others. “None of our members or Association participated in the negotiation or delivery of these important services. This is despite the fact that we had an alternative service provider, which was supported by 85% of our members, but NAHCON insisted on 100% membership support before it can consent to any change of service provider, this is an impossible demand in any human Association of diverse background. “As regard the Tent ‘A’ debacle, under normal practice, our members are responsible for the purchase of the VIP tent on behalf of every pilgrim through the Hajj E-track. “This year, it was on record that 27 companies purchased Tent ‘A’ service on behalf of 616 Pilgrims only, on the Hajj E-track portal. However, NAHCON through their accomplices at the service provider’s office created additional off-the-record tents outside the E-tract system that were purchased and paid for in cash, a day to the beginning of Hajj rites.” The group wants NAHCON to tell Nigerians how many Pilgrims participated in the Tent ‘A’ services and from where those large numbers of pilgrims got their visas from, access permit to the VIP camps. “It is, therefore, an unfounded allegation to blackmail our members as the culprit on this issue. “We dare to ask the Commission that collects $100 service charge on each of our pilgrim (total about $1,400,000.00) amounting to over N2 Billion and will not laisse with the service provider to ensure that service paid for is delivered fully to our Nigerian pilgrims. We also challenge NAHCON to name those Tour Operators they claimed were involved in Tent ‘A’ racketeering. AHOUN will not continue to stand and watch the organization that is supposed to promote transparency, good ethics and discipline in the management of Hajj in the country conniving to deprive the unsuspecting Pilgrims of their right to efficient and stress-free Hajj every year. “We can’t continue to watch our huge and legitimate investments being rubbished and made scapegoats every year by an organization that by law should support our members to deliver the right services to Nigerian Pilgrims. “We therefore call upon the leadership of the National Assembly as their oversight functions, to investigate further, beyond the cosmetic “World Press Conference” on these and other issues relating to the management of Hajj in Nigeria. “We would like to also call on the NAHCON leadership to look inward and stop looking away and blaming our members for their perpetual failures to deliver smooth and hitch-free Hajj for the Nigerians Pilgrims, year in year out. “A stich in time saves Nine”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has called on the Nigeria police to investigate and fish out those who are promoting reports on a social media platform, calling on Igbo people to vacate Lagos and Southwest of Nigeria and brace up for a massive hashtag.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement today, August 2, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, distanced himself and the State government from a post by LagosPedia, a social media handle on X (formerly Twitter) that calls on the Igbo to vacate Lagos and Southwest of Nigeria and brace up for a massive hashtag: #IgboMustGo protest from 20th to 30th August, 2024. The Governor described such call as reckless, divisive and dangerous, saying that Lagos remains home to every Nigerian citizen regardless of their ethnic nationality. “Governor Sanwo-Olu views the post as not only reckless and divisive but an attempt to sow a seed of discord between the Yoruba in the Southwest and other tribes, especially those who have made Lagos their permanent place of abode.” Sanwo-Olu advised the residents not to allow any person or group of individuals to create tensions in the state, saying that they should ignore the post and any post of that nature. He promised to double his efforts towards ensuring lasting peace in the state.
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria has protested series of police deliberate attacks on journalists covering the ongoing nationwide protests across the country, including firing of teargas canisters at the journalists in Abuja. Policemen, who fired teargas canisters at protesters that were assembling at the popular Berger roundabout in Abuja today, August 2, deliberately threw the teargas at the direction where the journalists gathered to cover the incident. Reacting to the development among several others, in a statement by the President of the IPI Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed and its legal adviser, Tobi Soniyi, the Nigerian National Committee of the body expressed concern over “a series of indiscriminate attacks on journalists covering the #ENDBADGOBERNANCE protests in the country. “We hasten to remind law enforcement agencies that it is the constitutional duty of journalists to cover the protests. They should, therefore, not be attacked while carrying out their duties. “While we recognise the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order, it is also the responsibility of journalists to inform the public of happenings in the country. “Law enforcement agencies are also duty bound to protect journalists. In this regard, we call on the police to investigate attacks on journalists covering the protests. We also demand that journalists be protected from attacks.” IPI Nigeria counted the number of attacks on journalists in Nigeria, including the following: Benard Akede of News Central Television was allegedly interrupted and harassed by Police officers who barred him and other journalists from interviewing anyone during a live broadcast in Lagos. In Kano, a vehicle belonging to Channels Television and conveying about eleven journalists was vandalized. The journalists were traumatised, and one of them, Ibrahim Isah, of TVC was assaulted. Also, in Kano, another vehicle belonging to Premier Radio was attacked. A car belonging to Cool/Wazobia/Arewa FM Kano was also not spared. In Abuja, the nation’s capital, Yakubu Mohammed of Premium Times was attacked and injured by Police officers who hit him with the butt of their guns and their batons and caused injuries to his head while covering the protest. Cameras belonging to journalists were also destroyed by Police officers. Jide Oyekunle, a photojournalist with Daily Independent and Chairman of FCT Correspondent Chapel of the NUJ, was arrested and his mobile telephone seized by Police officers. These are in addition to journalists being teargassed alongside other protesters. We call on heads of security agencies to instruct their operatives to stop further attacks on journalists. All culpable law enforcement officers will be held to account.
Members of the House of Representatives have described the recent call by Hon. Philip Agbese for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari and the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), as premature and against patliamentary culture. Leading a 50 member strong House of Reps group, Hon. Billy Famous Osaware (Edo State) told journalists in Abuja that it is against the rules of the House to jump into conclusions in a matter that is still under investigation by designated House Committee. Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, had asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately dismiss Kyari for allegdly stifling the economy’s growth due to the oil sector issues. Reacting to the call, Osawaru said that it is in the parliamentary culture to afford parties in investigation the right for fair hearing and called on the committee handling the probe to be impartial. “Nigerians will recall hike in fuel prices and associated challenges are fundamental concerns. The House of Representatives vide its resolutions mandated the joint committee of the house on Midstream and Downstream Petroleum to investigate issues in the oil and gas sector. “We are aware that investigation is ongoing and final decision has not been reached. However, our attention has been drawn to some media reports calling for the removal of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL and the Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA while the above investigation is subsisting. “We wish to state that it is in the parliamentary culture to afford parties in an investigation that right to fair hearing. Therefore, the cal for removal of anyone while investigation is pending is premature. “We Therefore call on all Nigerians to be patient and law abiding in expectation of a better Nigeria.”
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How NNPC Ltd Moved From Loss In 2019 To Consistent Profitability, Becoming An Asset To Nigeria, By Olufemi Soneye
In its editorial of 2nd August, 2024, the BusinessDay newspaper, characteristically, launched another scurrilous and baseless attack on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). In the editorial entitled: “NNPCL: Liability or Asset to Nigerians?”, the newspaper set out to paint the picture of NNPC Ltd that is a liability to Nigeria instead of an asset that it should be. It chronicled a litany of issues which in its estimation have made the company to lose its place as an asset to the nation. As to be expected, all the issues it raised were either outright lies or unfair misrepresentation of facts. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
According to the newspaper, NNPC Ltd.’s status as an asset is undercut by the opacity of its operations and corruption. The truth, however, is that this is a regurgitation of age-long allegations that have since been overtaken by the emergence of Mr. Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of the company and the transition of the old NNPC as a corporation into a limited liability company under the Petroleum Industry Act.
One of the key thrusts of the Kyari-led management since 2019 has been its focus on transparency and accountability. This was what gave rise to the Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) management philosophy under which the company’s audited financial statements began to be published annually since 2019. In fact, the same BusinessDay newspaper that is so bent on hanging the tag of opacity on the company actually honoured Kyari with its “Energy Executive of the Year” award in 2021 for turning the fortunes of the company around and entrenching the culture of transparency in the company. But out of sheer mischief, the newspaper has forgotten so soon and chosen to borrow some ignoble tricks from Josef Goebbel’s playbook, that of repeating the lies of opacity and corruption against the NNPC Ltd frequently with the hope of sustaining the propaganda just so well the public would believe the lies to be the truth.
The next point made in the editorial is that of mismanagement of resources and inefficiency. In its bid to present a semblance of balance, the newspaper acknowledged the role of government interference in the company. A bulk of the legacy problems, such as the age-long lack of maintenance of the refineries, is traceable to government interference. Any old refinery staff member of the NNPC Ltd will tell you that NNPC engineers used to carry out the turn-around maintenance of the refineries until past governments started dabbling in to influence contracts for their cronies.
However, with the PIA, all that is behind as the NNPC Ltd now operates as a limited liability company under the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). As is presently constituted, the company is owned by the government through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated and the Ministry of Petroleum. But the PIA envisages that in no distant time, the company will be listed on the stock exchange with shares owned by Nigerians in their individual capacities. But prior to that time, the management of the company under Kyari has instituted a management system encapsulated in the Performance Excellence element of the TAPE philosophy. Under this, the company has made great strides in moving from a position of loss in 2019 to consistent profitability. This is in spite of the fact that the company contends with monstrous odds in the form of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
The fact is that companies like Saudi Aramco, with which the newspaper tried to benchmark the NNPC Ltd, do not contend with such odds that have very practical implications for crude oil production. The newspaper is only being disingenuous in blaming the nation’s suboptimal crude oil production on inefficiency in the NNPC Ltd when it is common knowledge that the security challenges are not of the company’s making. But even at that, the NNPC Ltd has not fared badly in managing the bad situation to get the results that it has been posting in the past few years. The truth is that the current reality of the NNPC Ltd, in terms of management and performance, does not reflect the picture of mismanagement and inefficiency that the BusinessDay tried to paint in its editorial. The question that arises from all this, which the BusinessDay must answer, is: do companies that have issues with mismanagement of resources and inefficiency make profits as the NNPC Ltd has consistently done in the past three years?
The other issue that has stymied the NNPC Ltd from being an asset to the nation, according to the BusinessDay, is its monopolistic control of the petroleum sector. Supporting its position, the newspapers states: “The corporation’s dominant position as the sole importer of petrol and the primary issuer of import licenses for diesel creates market distortions”. This allegation, coming from a business newspaper like the BusinessDay, is very curious. For the newspaper to state that NNPC Ltd is the “primary issuer of import licenses for diesel” shows how little it knows about the oil and gas industry. It only means that the BusinessDay either does not know the difference between an industry regulator and an operator or it just wants to take its mischief to a ridiculous level, hoping that the public would swallow its lies hook, line, and sinker.
For the avoidance of doubt, NNPC Ltd does not issue import licenses for diesel or any petroleum product for that matter. This is because, NNPC Ltd, as provided in Section 64 of the PIA, is an operator just like any other company that operates in the oil and gas sector, and not a regulator. The PIA makes provision for the establishment of two regulatory agencies in the sector. They are the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The newspaper actually acknowledged these two regulatory agencies in the editorial. But how it came by the idea that the NNPC Ltd issues import licenses to marketers, a clear regulatory function, is really difficult to understand. This, however, goes to show that the newspaper and its editors know very little about the subject matter of their editorial.
On the allegation that NNPC Ltd runs a monopoly in the importation of petrol, here are the facts that the BusinessDay failed to acknowledge in its editorial. When the downstream sector was deregulated on 29th May, 2023, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration that fuel subsidy was gone, every petroleum marketer was automatically empowered to import the product and sell at whatever price(s) they chose. NNPC Ltd only stepped in to close the gap as a supplier of last resort, a role assigned to it by the framers of the PIA to guarantee energy security for the nation. NNPC Ltd did not muscle any marketer out of petrol importation to become a monopoly. Besides, it does not look like the company is making any profit from being the sole importer of petrol which is usually the major objective of monopolists.
In fact, by playing this role of sole importer of petrol at this time when others are not able to import the product, NNPC Ltd has proved to be a huge asset to the nation- much more of an asset than the BusinessDay would want Nigerians and the world to believe!
Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, wrote in from Abuja.