Electricity workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), say they will join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in its planned strike over the removal of petrol subsidy. On Friday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) issued a five-day ultimatum to the federal government to revert to the old price of petrol or face a nationwide protest. Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said the federal government had until Wednesday to revert to the old price of N185. Ajaero said the congress would mobilise its members across the country for a strike and mass protest. Journalists have also promised to join the industrial action. The NUEE, in a notice signed by Dominic Igwebike, acting general secretary, urged its members to comply with the directive and stop work from the early hours of Wednesday. “Sequel to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on June 2, 2023 at the Labour house Abuja, over the sudden removal of fuel subsidy which has brought untold hardship to Nigerians as well as increased inflation in the economy, the NLC has directed that the nationwide withdrawal of Services action will commence on Wednesday, June 7, 2023,” the memo reads. “To this effect, all National, State and Chapter executives are requested to start the mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive. “Please note that withdrawal of Services nationwide commences from 0.00 hours of Wednesday, June 7, 2023.” Following the union’s decision, Nigeria may witness another round of blackouts beginning on Wednesday.

  A Catholic priest, Reverend Father Stanislaus Mbamara has been kidnapped by gunmen in Anambra. Fr Mbamara, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka was kidnapped on his way from Awka to his base in Nnewi. The chancellor of Nnewi Diocese, Rev Fr Raphael Ezeogu has already issued a statement, calling for prayers for God’s intervention to rescue Fr. Mbamara from the hands of the abductors. “Let’s storm heaven with humble and insistent prayers for his quick release in sound health of mind and body. “May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Help of Christians, pray with and for us”, the diocesan chancellor said.

  The reported drop in the price of cooking gas in the country has ignited heated reactions among Nigerians on Twitter. On Sunday, Wale Adedayo, a freelance writer, took to the microblogging platform to share a receipt for cooking gas purchased on June 1. The receipt showed that 12.5 kg of cooking gas — which reportedly ranged between N9,375 and N13,000 in May — now goes for N6,950. “12.5kg of Cooking Gas in May – N9375, 12.5Kg of Cooking Gas in June – N6950. Maybe…just maybe…we should speak out when prices go down too. This feels good,” he wrote. The receipt was also shared by many others on Twitter in different contexts. The development comes on the heels of controversies trailing President Bola Tinubu’s announcement that “fuel subsidy is gone“. Some users argued that the drop in the price of gas is an indication that the price of petrol will also crash with time, when the subsidy is finally removed. Others also said the government deserves to be applauded for the current price of gas. WHAT DETERMINES THE PRICE OF GAS? Unlike petrol, cooking gas is not subsidised by the government. This means that the price of cooking gas is majorly determined by market forces. Advertisement Speaking on this, Leo Ukpong, a professor of Financial Economics at American University School of Business, Yola, Adamawa state, described the reported drop in price as a “supply-driven phenomenon”. “The production of gas is very different from the refinery process of petrol. In the first place, gas was not subsidised, so it is not part of the whole subsidy issue. Petrol or PMS was subsidised but the price of cooking gas has always been determined by market forces,” he told TheCable. “Cooking gas is basically demand and supply. The drop in price could be due to an increase in supply. If that is the case, it means the gas plants in the country are now more efficient. I think it is a supply-driven phenomenon. (TheCable)

  A federal high court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara, says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) does not have the powers to invite serving and past officials of the state government for the purpose of explaining how the state’s funds are utilised. Delivering his ruling on a suit instituted by Zamfara government and the attorney-general of the state against the EFCC and the attorney-general of the federation, Aminu Bappa Aliyu, the presiding judge, held that the power to audit the public accounts of Zamfara state is not vested in the first defendant (EFCC) or any other authority, person, body or organisation other than in the auditor-general of the state. The court also set aside EFCC’s letter of invitation dated September 28, 2021, or any other date to the past and serving officials of Zamfara state government, noting that such letter “being ultra vires the powers of the 1st defendant”, was null and void and of no effect whatsoever. These and other orders were made after the court had listened to submissions of Abdulfathu Shehu, the plaintiffs’ counsel; and Adebisi Adeniyi and P. A. Attah, counsels to the defendants, in the writ of summons suit dated and filed on November 16, 2021 and marked: FHC/GS/CS/30/2021. Having gone through the processes filed by the parties, Aliyu granted all the prayers of the plaintiffs, stressing that only the Zamfara state house of assembly and the auditor-general of the state are vested with the constitutional authority of seeking explanation or inviting public officials on how the state’s money is being spent, and not the EFCC or the AGF. The state government had also prayed the court to bar EFCC from inviting, arresting or detaining any government officials as regards the appropriation of public funds in the state as such contradicts the power of the anti-graft body. The presiding judge granted all the plaintiffs’ prayers, saying: “A declaration is made that, having regard to the provisions of section 120, 121, 122. 123, 124, 128 and 129 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the 1st defendant (EFCC) does not have the powers to invite (by letters, telephone calls or any other means of communication) serving and past officials of the plaintiff for the purpose of explaining how funds meant for security votes, estacodes and travelling allowances were utilised, or are being utilised, when such funds are such that the auditor-general and the Zamfara state house of assembly have the constitutional authority to conduct investigation and exercise powers and control over same. “A declaration is made that upon a calm and proper interpretation of the provisions of section 125 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the power to receive financial statement and annual accounts of Zamfara state from the accountant-general of Zamfara state is not vested in the 1st defendant or any other authority, person, body or organisation other than in the auditor-general for Zamfara state. “A declaration is made that upon a proper interpretation of the provisions of section 125 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the power to audit the public accounts of Zamfara state is not vested in the 1st defendant or any other authority, person, body or organisation other than in the auditor-general of Zamfara state. “A declaration is made that upon a calm and proper interpretation of the provisions of section 125 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the auditor-general or any person authorised by him, cannot be subjected to any direction or control of the 1st and 2nd defendants (EFCC and AGF) or any authority, person, body or organisation. “An order of injunction is made retraining the 1st defendant by itself, agent, servant, detectives, employees, staff, operatives and privies from inviting, or further inviting, arresting and or detaining past or present officials of the 1st plaintiff (Zamfara state government) with respect to how funds meant for security votes, estacodes and travelling allowances were expended by the 1st plaintiff except through the house of assembly of Zamfara state and in strict compliance with provisions of the constitution of the Federal of Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended. “An order of Injunction is made restraining the 1st defendant whether by itself, its agents, employees, servants, operatives, detectives, privies, investigating officer(s), and other person by whatever name called, from inviting, or further inviting, intimidating, harassing and threatening to arrest or detain, or from arresting or detaining any past or present official of the 1st plaintiff on the basis of the same facts or similar facts as herein stated.”

  The representatives of the Federal Government are meeting with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the State House over the removal of fuel subsidy.   This is a follow-up to Wednesday’s meeting with the organized labour which ended in a deadlock. At that meeting, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) demanded that the Federal Government go back to status-quo by reversing the price of fuel before resuming negotiations with the union. In Sunday’s meeting, the federal government’s team is led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. Others are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefie; former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari. Also in the meeting are the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Zacch Adedeji; Executive Vice President, Downstream, of the NNPCL, Yemi Adetunji; former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake; Hon James Faleke, among others.   The TUC has seven members represented at the meeting led by their President, Mr Festus Osifo.

  Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have stormed Iwe forest in Iwe community, Owan West local government area of Edo state, where they located a large warehouse of skunk, used to store 231 jumbo bags of the psychotropic substance weighing 3,003 kilograms (over 3 tons), which was set ablaze. The operation involving hundreds of well-armed NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Tuesday 30th May followed intelligence that a wanted drug kingpin had stored tons of the illicit substance in the forest ready for distribution to other parts of the country. Meanwhile, not less than 76.9 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis were recovered from four used vehicles in a container marked MSDU6686346 from Canada at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state between Thursday 1st June and Friday 2nd June during a joint inspection of the shipment with men of the Nigeria Customs Service. The request for 100 percent examination of the shipment followed earlier intelligence received by the Agency on the container. In Kano state, two suspects: Ma’aruf Rabiu and Abubakar Mustapha were arrested on Tuesday 30th May along Zaria-Kano road with 260 blocks of cannabis weighing 139.4kg, while Auwal Ibrahim was nabbed with 38kg of the same substance the following day Wednesday 31st May along Kaduna-Abuja road, same day 35-year-old female suspect, Bilkisu Isiya, was arrested at Birnin Yero, Kaduna in possession of 5.6kg cannabis. Similarly in Borno State, two suspects: Abubakar Usman (aka Alhaji Mai Kero) and Adamu Yusuf were arrested at Bargu village, Shani LGA, on Saturday 3rd June with 165 blocks of skunk weighing 140.7kg. Their arrest was effected deep inside a fluid insurgents’ environment with military support. A female suspect, Hauwa Ibrahim, 25, was also nabbed in the same village with 6.4kg of the psychoactive substance, while another suspect Alhaji Abubakar, 27, was arrested at Njimtilo checkpoint with 4,200 ampoules of pentazocine injection and different quantities of D5 and exol-5 tablets.   A 30-year-old suspect, Iroko Wasiu was arrested at a drug joint at Sabo Aba-Owolowo along Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway on Tuesday 30th May and 31.2kg of cannabis recovered from him, while two suspects: Deji Adelabu, 35, and Mutiu Salau, 37, were nabbed the following day Wednesday 31st May in Sabo area along Oyo- Ogbomoso road and Awuro Dada area in Orire local government area of Oyo state with a total of 8kg cannabis recovered from them. While commending the officers and men of the Edo, Onne Ports, Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Oyo state Commands for their commitment and synergy with other law enforcement agencies in their areas of responsibility, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to intensify the offensive action against drug cartels while ensuring a balance with drug demand reduction efforts.

  Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Ahmed Ammani, has ordered deployment of personnel, operational and intelligence resources to ensure public safety on Mondays and all days in the state. This is sequel to the June 1 order by Gov. Peter Mbah cancelling the weekly sit-at-home order in the entire southeast geopolitical zone by the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB). Gov. Mbah also declared on Saturday in Enugu that schools, markets, retail outlets, hospitals, transporters, malls that continued to obey IPOB’s sit-at-home order would be shut. Mbah also set up a taskforce to monitor compliance with his new directive from Monday, June 5. In a statement issued on Sunday by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, police spokesman in Enugu State, the police commissioner said he had ordered strategic units to deploy personnel and operational resources to actualise the governor’s declaration. The police commissioner said he gave his order to strategic personnel and units such as area commanders, divisional police officers, commanders of Police Mobile Force Squadron Bases, and tactical and operational units. He said they would ensure maximum public security and safety of residents and property in the state on all days, including Mondays. “I have ordered them to ensure that the strategies already devised to reverse the ugly trend are implemented to the letter and equally warned them that lapses on their part would not be tolerated. “I have directed the supervisory officers and personnel under them to live up to expectations by ensuring that every part of the state is visibly patrolled. “The personnel should also ensure that necessary policing actions are taken to forestall possible adverse activities of the undesirable criminal elements “Innocent and law-abiding residents deserve to go about their lawful businesses without fear of harassment or physical threats by unscrupulous and subversive criminal elements, enforcing the illegal sit-at-home order,’’ Ammani said in the statement. He said the military and other security agencies would join police operatives in the enforcement of the governor’s cancellation of IPOB’s sit-at-home order. He warned unrepentant criminal elements, known to have murdered fellow citizens, and destroyed their property and socio-economic well-being in the name of enforcing the illegal sit-at-home order to retrace their steps. “Unrepentant criminal elements that take pleasure in wanton destruction should turn a new leaf as security forces shall not spare any person or individuals found wanting,’’ he stressed. Ammani enjoined citizens to cooperate with security operatives while remaining law-abiding and vigilant as they fully begin to go about their lawful businesses on Mondays, like every other work day. He urged residents to promptly report criminals and their activities to the nearest police station or call the police emergency hotlines on: 08032003702, 08075380883, 08086671202 or 08098880172 for necessary

  Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s assets did not increase during his eight-year administration, his former spokesman, Garba Shehu has said. In a post on his verified Twitter handle on Saturday, Shehu disclosed that the former President submitted his assets declaration forms to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in line with Chapter 6 of the constitution. “The CCB today issued an acknowledgement receipt,” Shehu said in the post which had the photo of the receipt. The former presidential spokesman also said Buhari did not add new bank accounts outside the only one he had in Union Bank, Kaduna State. “He (Buhari) has taken no loans and has no liability,” he said. “The number of animals in his farm recorded a little decrease due to the number he gave out as gifts in the last four years.” Buhari, who handed over to President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023 after eight years in office, retired to his Daura country home in Katsina State, North-West Nigeria. He was previously Nigeria’s military head of state from December 1983 to August 1985.   FORMER PRESIDENT BUHARI SUBMITS ASSETS DECLARATION FORM, SHOWS ZERO DEBT. Former President Muhammadu Buhari has submitted his assets declaration forms to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, in line with Chapter 6 of the constitution. The CCB today issued an acknowledgement… pic.twitter.com/lISpuoI4af — Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) June 3, 2023