Today's Headlines: Tribunal Upholds Tinubu’s Election, Refineries Will Not Work By December-Obasanjo
Tribunal Upholds Tinubu’s Election
Photo Credit: Dailytrust
The Presidential Election Petitions Court has upheld the election of Bola Tinubu as president.
The five-member panel of justices presided by Justice Haruna Tsammani held that the petitions of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labout Party (LP) are devoid of merit.
Refineries will not work by December- Obasanjo
Photo Credit:The Nation papers
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that refineries will not become functional by December despite the projection of the current administration.
Obasanjo made this known in an exclusive interview with The Cable on Tuesday.
Photo Credit: Google
He revealed that while he was in office, the Shell Oil Development Company(SPDC) turned down his offer of handling the nation’s refineries saying that they’ll never work as long as the government is holding onto them.
He said: “They will not work as long as the government is keeping hold of them. When I was President, I invited Shell to a meeting. I told them I wanted to hand over the refineries for them to help us run. They bluntly told me they would not. I was shocked.
“I repeated the request and they stood their ground. When the meeting was over, I asked their big man (MD) to wait behind for a little chat. Then I asked him why they were so hesitant on not taking over the refineries. He said did I want to hear the truth? I said yes. He listed four reasons. One, he said Shell makes its money from upstream and that is where its interest lies. Two, he said they only do downstream or retail as a matter of service. Three, he said our refineries would be bad business for them, that globally, companies are going for bigger refineries because of the economics of refineries. Four, he said there is too much corruption in refineries.
Tinubu’s turbulent first 100 days
Photo Credit: Punch paper
BOLA TINUBU marks his first 100 days in office today as Nigeria’s fifth President of the Fourth Republic under a cloud of uncertainty, apprehension, and gloom. Though his administration is beginning to assume a definitive shape, the prevailing tensions in the land, divisions and the inherent fragility of the government and union are palpable. Presciently, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal plans to deliver its judgement today, just as a warning strike by labour unions enters its second day, and the naira exchange rate fell further to underscore the unprecedented economic hardship the country is experiencing.
The cautionary reminder by The PUNCH’s welcoming editorial of May 30 of the ancient Chinese saying to the ambitious to “be careful what you wish for,” resonates loudly today. The enormity of the multiple challenges he faces and his ability to surmount them and the country from ruin are still being tested.
Admittedly, 100 days is too short to assess an administration. Nevertheless, the tradition, credited to have been birthed by the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, at the start of his first term in 1932, has taken root and analysts see the period as a pointer to the trajectory of a new helmsman.
Tinubu’s first steps were riotous. His (petrol) “subsidy is gone” declaration at his inauguration followed shortly after by the flotation of the naira won both praise and condemnation. Applauded by the World Bank/IMF, the liberal West and the organised private sector, its aftershocks have left the economy reeling, driven another 7.1 million people into poverty, triggered record inflation and currency devaluation, and crippled businesses.
Bello raises corpers’ allowance by 100%
Photo Credit: Punch paper
The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has approved a 100 per cent increment in the allowance of members of the National Youth Service Corps deployed to Kogi State for their mandatory one-year service.
This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lokoja and made available to newsmen by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onogwu Mohammed.
The Governor was said to have made the approval considering the current economic realities and the overall importance of the NYSC scheme to national and state development.
He spoke during the closing ceremony of the 2023 Batch ‘B’ Stream 2 of the NYSC at the State’s Orientation Camp, Asanya, in Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, on Tuesday.
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