Today's Headlines: We Played Politics with 2012 Occupy Nigeria–Fayemi; Gabon Coup Leader, General Nguema Meets Central African Republic President, Faustin Touadera
We Played Politics with 2012 Occupy Nigeria – Fayemi
Photo Credit:Punch papers
A former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday, said the protest that trailed the fuel subsidy removal during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 was due to political interests.
Fayemi said this in his keynote address delivered at a national dialogue organised to celebrate the 60th birthday celebration of the founding National Secretary of Alliance for Democracy and Fellow, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Professor Udenta Udenta in Abuja.
The programme was attended by Jonathan, former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; former Minister of Ation, Osita Chidoka, among others.
The PUNCH reports that on January 1, 2012, President Goodluck announced the removal of fuel subsidy and adjusted the pump price of petrol from N65 per litre to N141
The decision sparked mass protests, tagged ‘Occupy Nigeria’ across major cities of the country.
The price was later re-adjusted to N97, after more than a week of protests.
General Nguema Meets Faustin
Photo Credit:Vanguard papers
Gabon’s new strongman, General Brice Oligui Nguema, on Tuesday met the Central African Republic’s president, Faustin Archange Touadera, who has been named regional mediator for the country following last week’s coup, state TV said.
The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has appointed Touadera “facilitator of the political process” in Gabon following the August 30 overthrow of President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
He has been tasked with meeting “all Gabonese actors and partners of the country” with the goal of providing “a rapid return to constitutional order.”
The television gave no details of the talks, which came a day after ECCAS member Equatorial Guinea said Gabon had been suspended from the 11-nation group.
ECCAS also ordered the immediate transfer of its headquarters from Gabon’s Libreville to the Equatorial Guinea capital of Malabo, the country’s vice president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, said on X, previously known as Twitter.
In addition to Gabon, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea, ECCAS comprises Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe.
Oligui, head of the elite Republican Guard, was sworn in on Monday as the country’s interim president.
Photo Credit:Google
Obasanjo Hits Bola Tinubu
Photo Credit:P.M
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has for the first time spoken on the 100 day old government of President Bola Tinubu, challenging him on one of the promises made.
The issue is about the Port Harcourt Refinery, which Tinubu said will be operational in December.
The refinery is at present undergoing a major overhaul with a loan of $1.5 billion from AfricaExim Bank.
But Obasanjo expressed scepticism that thhe refinery will work by December 2023.
In an interview with The Cable Online paper, Obasanjo emphasised his belief that the nation’s refineries would never function efficiently as long as they remained under government ownership.
Drawing on past experiences, Obasanjo shared insights into the challenges facing Nigeria’s refinery sector.
He recounted a crucial meeting he had with representatives from Shell during his presidency, where he proposed handing over the refineries to the oil giant for management.
Buhari Govt Treated Labour Like Rag, Caused Nigerians’ Distrust–Alaba
Photo Credit:Channels Television
The Head, Public Relations of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Alaba Yusuf, has likened the manner organised labour was treated by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to that of a rag.
The last administration, which was an APC government, treated labour like a rag, so they (labour) cannot believe them (government),” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday.
He added the distrust was “to the extent that the ordinary Nigerian does not even believe labour; they feel labour is being settled”.
The campaign spokesman added that he had no pity for President Bola Tinubu because it had been his life’s ambition to be a president.
Essentially, the government has always enjoyed favour from labour. The executive has always taken advantage,” he said.
“Despite the extant law of separation of powers, the executive in Nigeria has always seen itself as superior to both the legislature and the judiciary, this is an APC government; the previous government is APC.
‘’Integrity, credibility, plausibility, believability — these are things that people attend to when it comes to negotiation.”
If I Had Power I Would Have Fired Wike From PDP Long Ago–Dele
Photo Credit:Channels Television
The Director of Strategic Communications for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, said he would have expelled the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if he had the power.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm programme on Tuesday, Momodu accused Wike of trying to destroy the party, saying, “I don’t have the power, if I had power I would have fired him (Wike) long ago.”
The PDP chieftain, however, said he does not fault the ministerial appointment of Wike by President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Asked why he would fire the former Rivers State governor from the party, Momodu replied, “Such and unruly person who wants to destroy our party? One individual cannot hold everybody to ransom. If we fought the military, we fought the military in this country, Tinubu was part of those who fought the military in this country, and then you will now allow a civilian dictatorship?”
Ahead of the 2023 elections, Wike and other four then governors that made up the G-5 in the PDP withdrew their support for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar over disagreement concerning power sharing within PDP.
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