Tuesday 10 October 2023 Domestic airlines demand jet fuel import licence, forex Slain lawyer: Lagos NBA welcomes death sentence for killer cop Concerns as commercial sex workers invade Lagos malls, lure men MAPOLY shut as students protest fee increase No crack in Bayelsa APC, says chieftain Aiyedatiwa drops suit against Ondo Assembly, Akeredolu Home Delivery Of Passport Starts Next Year, Says FG FG To Compel Airlines To Pay Compensation For Delayed, Cancelled Flights Coroner Listens To Testimony Of Late Sylvester Oromoni’s Mum, Adjourns To November Coroner Listens To Testimony Of Late Sylvester Oromoni’s Mum, Adjourns To November ‘It Is Not Acceptable’: Wike Faults EU’s Report On 2023 Elections Hamas Threatens To Kill Israel Hostages Over Gaza Strikes Tinubu Appoints Linda Akhigbe, Durotoye, Others Into Media Advisory Team Nigeria Will Become Net Exporter Of Petroleum Products In 2024 – NNPC Killer Cop Drambi Vandi Sentenced To Death For Bolanle Raheem’s Murder Clashes Erupt At Liberian President’s Re-Election Parade Obaseki Approves Payment Of 28 Years Gratuity Backlog Ambassadors’ recall: Envoys stranded as FG foot-drags on implementation Israel intensifies attack, enforces total blockade of Gaza; Hamas threaten to kill hostages How Obasanjo, Soyinka, Akintoye, Adebanjo, others secured my release — Sunday Igboho Why There Are Fuel Queues In Some States – NNPCL Tinubu’s Economic Policies Not Living Up To Expectation – Financial Times 99,985 Nigerian students left for UK varsities in 5 years –FG Nigeria’ll export petroleum by 2024 –Kyari Israel planning ground assault as Qatar, Egypt move to halt escalation Enugu to rehabilitate law school, says Hotel Presidential not for sale Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Spokesman of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Emmanuel Powerful, has said the group would be disbanded if the people vote against self-determination in a referendum. According to him, when political and economic survival of the indigenous people are threatened, the United Nations charter gives them the right to chart their own political future in what she referred to as self-determination through a democratic process called referendum. Powerful, who a few days ago issued a statement indicating readiness of IPOB to dialogue with the Nigerian government on the issue of referendum, however, stated that the group was not begging for it. “We never begged for dialogue or discussion with Nigeria, the options are left for them to decide. IPOB worldwide is ready anytime they are ready; we don’t want people to see that statement as if we are begging for dialogue or discussion, the Biafra referendum is sacrosanct and nothing will stop it to usher in Biafra restoration and independence. “We saw so many wrong comments from mostly those enemies from other tribes who think they can bring IPOB down. Some people think IPOB is hard to believe in peaceful dialogue and discussion.” IPOB declared that any negotiation must have its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, present when he would have regained his freedom. Powerful noted that the Republic of Biafra was in existence before the British invasion and colonisation of the territories of the indigenous peoples and called it Nigeria. He also saluted the efforts of the leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, and other “gallant men and women who fought to keep Biafra alive.” He further stated that no amount of machinations and intimidation would annihilate the struggle for Biafra. “It is only a tree that will receive a warning that it will be cut down and stays at the same spot. Biafrans are fed up with the ethnic profiling, hatred, marginalisation, and our enemies’ ethnic annihilation plans. To top it off, there has been political and economic exclusion, extrajudicial executions, and arbitrary detentions in the hands of the Nigeria State. That’s why the Nigeria government must listen to the wise counsels and dialogue with Kanu and IPOB for a way forward for a Biafra referendum… “For IPOB to engage Nigeria in any negotiations and dialogue for the Biafra referendum, first Kanu must be released unconditionally. He will lead the negotiation. Secondly, the international community represented in the UN, AU, EU, the USA government, the Russian government, and Israel must be represented at the negotiation table. “Should the Nigeria government remain adamant and refuse to obey extant laws on self-determination, IPOB and Biafrans will continue with civil disobedience within the boundaries of international laws until our demands are met. “Moreso, we shall continue with our diplomatic engagements to push forward our demands for a referendum. Some of our strategies will remain secret but will be rolled out in due time. “For us in IPOB, every card is on the table. As freedom fighters, we adequately harness every available opportunity for Biafra independence. As long as Biafrans are forced to remain in a deadly union that threatens our survival called Nigeria, we shall ensure the economic and political survival of Nigeria is under threat as well. “We can assure Nigeria that IPOB members and Biafrans will never capitulate on our self-determination struggle. On the other hand, if Biafrans are allowed to have a referendum and majority vote ‘yes’ for us to exit, Biafra and Nigeria shall remain friendly nations. But if the majority voted ‘no’ for us to remain in Nigeria, the IPOB’s job would have been done and the movement would be disbanded,” he said

  Adeyeye Ajayi, the personal aide to Yakubu Gowon, former military head of state, has debunked the rumoured death of his principal. On Monday, some social media users claimed that Gowon had passed away. Reacting to the claim, Ajayi, in a statement sent to NTA, said the former military leader is alive. “I am still around and well. I am not in a hurry,” the statement quoted the former military leader as saying.   Gowon was born on October 19, 1934. He served as the head of state between August 1, 1966 and July 29, 1975. Gowon took over power at the age of 31 — the youngest Nigeria’s head of state. He ruled the country during a civil war that lasted for more than two years.

  The Federal Government says it will soon issue an order, compelling airline operators to start paying compensation to passengers for delayed and cancelled flights not attributed to natural occurrences. Festus Keyamo said this during a meeting with airline operators in Abuja on Monday. On delayed flights, I want to speak for ordinary Nigerians who complain every day [about] delayed, cancelled flights. I know you have said all your reasons. You have blamed the government and a few things we do. But I also want to say that it is not all the time that it is government,” he said. “At times, you say you were waiting for passengers to finish passing through the screening machine. At times, they have finished passing through screening machines. They are waiting in the lounge for five hours and you cancell your flight. “So, you see, after some time, we will start implementing the provisions of the NCAA Act. You know, Nigerians don’t know there is compensation for delay. If it is an act of God, you cannot pay. But if it is human fault, the NCAA Act says you will pay. So, for all airline operators, while I have praised and supported you, I will also support Nigerians. You will pay them. After some time, I will put my feet on the ground. Pay them when you delay, cancel their flight.” However, Keyamo urged the airline operators to build stable communication channels that enable passengers to get cancellation notices.

  The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Monday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja he was withdrawing the lawsuit he filed to stop his impeachment by the Ondo State House of Assembly. Other defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023 were the Governor of Ondo State; the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of Ondo State; the House of Assembly; the Inspector-General of Police; the Department of State Services. At the Monday hearing, Aiyedatiwa’s lawyer, Mr Ebun-olu Adegboruwa (SAN), told the court the deputy governor wished to withdraw the suit following the intervention of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the matter. The SAN noted that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, had set up a reconciliation committee on October 6, to mediate the dispute between some of the parties to the suit. Adegboruwa said going ahead with the court proceedings could frustrate the reconciliation efforts by the APC leadership. He also pointed out that the Ondo State House of Assembly wrote a petition to the National Judicial Council on October 3, 2023, against the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite He urged the court to wait for the decision of the NJC on the petition before going ahead with the matter. But counsel for the Ondo State Governor, Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), and that of the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Mutalib Ojo (SAN), opposed Adegboruwa and urged the court to go ahead with the case. In his submission, counsel for the Assembly, Femi Emodamori, said the Ondo Assembly had already withdrawn the petition against the judge. Justice Nwite adjourned till October 6 for ruling. Aiyedatiwa had in the suit sought an order of interim injunction restraining Akeredolu, his servants, or privies from harassing, intimidating, embarrassing, and preventing him from carrying out the functions of his office as deputy governor of Ondo State. The court had granted his prayers and adjourned the matter till Monday to hear the substantive matter.

  Palestinian militant group Hamas threatened Monday to kill hostages if the Israeli army carried out air strikes without prior warning targeting residents of the Gaza Strip. “Every targeting of our people without warning will be met with the execution of one of the civilian hostages,” the Ezzedine al-Qassem Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a statement. “The enemy doesn’t understand the language of humanity and ethics, so we’ll address them in the language that they understand.” Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip over the past three days after Hamas militants surged into southern Israeli towns in a surprise attack that has left hundreds killed. Militants, who sprayed bullets under the cover of thousands of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, fled back to the enclave with about 100 hostages. An Israeli military spokesman said on Monday that details of about 30 hostages have been given to their families.

  London-based Financial Times publication says there are signs of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms not going as planned. In an editorial, the publication noted that although Tinubu started well by removing fuel subsidy and moving towards a market-driven exchange, events in the past four months show that more work has to be done.   VDO.AI PlayUnmute Fullscreen “In removing a costly fuel subsidy and in shifting towards a market-driven exchange rate, which has sharply weakened a previously overvalued currency, he has gone some way towards persuading investors he is serious about reform. But four months into his presidency, there are signs of things going awry,” it said. The report noted that the removal of Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), raised eyebrows due to its unconventional nature, giving the impression of political reprisal. “The removal of Godwin Emefiele, the previous governor, was overdue. But its manner, initially via a charge of firearms possession, was odd and smacked of political revenge. More substantively, the new exchange rate regime has yet to be properly explained,” the report said. “On how the new CBN management can stabilize the financial system, the report said the new CBN leadership will most likely increase the interest rates to curb inflation. Markets consider Cardoso, a former Citibank Nigeria chair, to be a sound appointment. (The same cannot be said of all of Tinubu’s picks.) The incoming governor will probably need to raise rates at the next policy meeting to establish his inflation-busting credentials. Tinubu must restore institutional independence by leaving the bank to get on with its job. In other areas, the president needs to be more active – and more articulate,” the report said. It said in other areas, Tinubu needs to be more active and more articulate. “He should spell out his policies to a skeptical public. He should also refrain from announcing plans — including the restoration of democracy in Niger — without any real idea of how to implement them. Execution is key. Only four months into his presidency, what started out with a bang risks becoming a whimper. Tinubu needs to regain the momentum,” it said.

  The federal government, on Monday, October 9, debunked claims that Nigeria has restored subsidy for premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol. President Bola Tinubu had on May 29, during his inauguration as President at Eagle Square, Abuja, announced the effective end of the subsidy regime. However, the removal of fuel subsidy has been trailed by serious economic repercussions, which have led to protests from the organised Labour. Just last week, the Tinubu administration managed an arrangement with Labour, including the implementation of some palliative measures, including a provisional wage increment. Oil marketers and a section of organised Labour have recently alleged that the government had restored the subsidy, contrary to its earlier resolve, claiming that with the removal of the subsidy, fuel pump price stability, despite fluctuations, is unexplainable. However, responding to journalists’ questions at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with President Tinubu, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, said there is no fuel subsidy at all. He said: “I told you there’s no subsidy whatsoever, we are recovering our full cost from the products that we import. We sell to the market, we understand why the marketers are unable to import. We hope that they do this very quickly and these are some of the interventions the government is doing. There is no subsidy.”

  President Bola Tinubu on Monday, October 9, approved the appointment of Fela Durotoye and four others to serve in the office of the president under the media and publicity directorate. The appointment was announced by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale in a press release on Monday, October 9. Here’s what you need to know about the appointees: 1. Mr. Fela Durotoye (Senior Special Assistant to the President — National Values & Social Justice): Adetokunbo Olufela Durotoye was born in Ibadan, Oyo State on 12 May 1971. He is a business consultant, leadership expert, and motivational speaker. He was the Nigerian presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria party (ANN) for the 2019 presidential elections. He is the new Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Values & Social Justice. 2. Mr. Fredrick Nwabufo (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Public Engagement): Fredrick Nwabufo was born in Lagos State, and he hails from Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. He is a columnist, journalist, thought leader, communications strategist, and media consultant with extensive experience in investigative reporting, writing (features, policy & brief), editing, publishing, communications, and media management. He has conducted many high-profile interviews with such figures as President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nobel Laureate, Malala Yousafzai. 3. Mrs. Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Strategic Communications): Mrs. Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe is a senior reporter and anchor with an experienced history of working in the broadcast media industry. She is skilled in News Writing, Journalism, Program Production and Presentation, Editing, and Media Relations. She has a Master of Arts – MA in Media, Communications, and PR from the University of Leicester (MA Media, Communications and PR). She has worked at Channels Television for 15 years. 4. Mr. Aliyu Audu: He is the new Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs. 5. Mr. Francis Adah Abah: He is the Personal Assistant to the President on Special Duties. Credit: TheNation