OHANAZE Ndigbo has directed Ndigbo all over the country not to join the ongoing protests against hardship. In a statement signed by the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu entitled “Message to all Igbos worldwide”, he said: “I write as your leader at this critical period in our Country, Nigeria. Events in Nigeria today are no doubt very disturbing. The economy has turned very bad, a sceptre of frustration is everywhere. I have received many entreaties from many parts of the Country requesting me to call Igbos to join in demonstration and violent action in the Country against the Government. “As your leader, I am directing that no Igbo group or community in Nigeria or in Diaspora should join in this action. I am still studying the situation. I have asked Nigerians who approached me the following questions, what did they do when the past government disfranchised Igbo land? “Most of the Igbo are in the South East and the South East is very sadly marginalized in all ramifications. We are the only geopolitical zone that has only five (5) states. This situation has cost us billions of financial losses. It has also cost us losses in both political appointments and legislative representations. In 2005 and 2014, we raised this issue at various political conferences. All men of goodwill at the conference agreed that it was unfair for the Southeast to have only five States and recommended that an additional state be created in the Southeast but up till today, this has not been done. I have severally drawn the attention of the federal Government to this injustice against the Southeast. This statement should serve as a notice that if no step is taken by the federal Government and the National Assembly towards the creation of an additional state in the Southeast, I will have no choice than to go to Court. “In the 1999 Constitution as amended, we all endorsed a federal character. Igbos by nature would have preferred the free competitive process rather than a federal character paradigm. But we realised that Nigeria is a federation comprising so many ethnic nationalities and as part of our sacrifice towards the unity of Nigeria, we accepted the federal character option but unfortunately, it has been used to manoeuvre the Igbo out of most critical positions in Government. For Example, the former President Muhammadu Buhari openly confessed that he didn’t give us our due because we didn’t vote for him. “Youths all over the world are very restive and sensitive to any issue affecting their future. In Nigeria, Igbo youths and youths from other tribes at various times expressed their dissatisfaction with events in the Country. It is clear to us that when youths from other tribes of the country are involved they are reprimanded and forgiven; but when the Igbo youths are involved they are arrested, incarcerated and even charged for serious offences. For example, the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu generated a lot of problems for the Igbos. Many Igbos, including Governors, members of the National Assembly, Religious leaders, Traditional Rulers, and Business leaders pleaded with Mr. President for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu but without success. Also, there are many Igbo Youths detained in various correctional Centres for flimsy excuses. For example, there is a case of Eze Fredrick Nwajiagu who has been in detention in Lagos without any justifiable reason. “Since after the 2023 general election, Igbos have been victimised over the failure of APC to win in Lagos and Abuja. It has been brought to my notice that there is a conspiracy to cripple Igbo business enterprise in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of Nigeria. All these are aimed at incapacitating the Igbos from all future political activities. “In some parts of Nigeria, Igbos who answer Igbo names, who are raised in Igbo culture and tradition, continue to deny their Igbo Heritage. This is because some people outside the Eastern Nigeria who assume the monopoly of political power, have continued to brainwash this set of people and turned their minds against their kit and kin, the Igbos. For example, after the Civil War which was fought by the entire Eastern Nigeria this group of people profiled it as if it was a war by a few Igbos and they influenced our kit and kin in Rivers State to seize our assets in the name of abandoned property. Remarkably, the end of Civil War was based on 3Rs Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. Most unfortunately, the 3Rs were never implemented in the war torn areas. History will always record the contributions of General Yakubu Gowon, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, and General Obasanjo towards the peaceful conclusion of the Civil War on the basis of no victor, no vanquished. It is regrettable that up till today, in spite of the efforts of Igbos to demonstrate their commitment to one united Nigeria, Igbos are victimized in many parts of the Country and people profile them wrongly at various times. “It is clear to me that Igbos must work hard in order to succeed in Nigeria. It is no secret that most contracts executed by Igbo business men in Nigeria are bought from original awardees. In terms of political power, the Presidency of Nigeria was zoned to rotate between the North and the South. We accepted it. The last election was a defining moment in the country when in fact Igbos generally believed it was their turn to produce a president but some groups of Nigeria ganged up against Igbos and we failed in this quest. We once more thank all Nigerians who have shown their patriotism and love for one united Nigeria by supporting a very credible Igbo candidate, Mr Peter Obi. These Nigerian leaders are too numerous to mention but we cannot fail to express our thanks to Chief Dr. Edwin Clark, the Leader of South South region, Pa Ayo Adebanjo the Leader of Afenifere and Dr. Bitrus Pogu the Leader of Middle

  Fifty trucks conveying foodstuffs out of the country to the Niger Republic were intercepted on Monday by the Zamfara State Transport Agency. The agency, which was enforcing a presidential directive meant to arrest the food crisis and hoarding, grounded the trucks loaded with assorted grains. President Bola Tinubu last Thursday ordered the trio of the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, to collaborate with state governors and go after those hoarding foodstuff. The decision was taken during the President’s meeting with the governors in Abuja on the current food crisis triggered by the hikes in transportation costs after the fuel subsidy removal and the inability of farmers to harvest their crops because of bandits and kidnappers. On Sunday, the Nigeria Customs Service said it stopped 15 trailers conveying foodstuff through the Sokoto borders to Niger Republic, Also, the Kano State Government sealed 10 warehouses said to be hoarding food items. Confirming the interception of the 50 trucks in Zamfara, Shehu Sani, an indigene of Zurmi town in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state, told one of our correspondents on the telephone on Monday that the vehicles were stopped at Gidan Jaja village, close to the Nigerian borders with Niger Republic. The spokesman for ZARTO, Sale Shinkafi, alleged that the trucks were attempting to smuggle the food items to the Niger Republic. He said, “Our men intercepted 50 vehicles loaded with assorted grains while trying to smuggle them out of the country. We directed the owners to go back and sell the commodities to Nigerians at the appropriate prices.” Shinkafi explained that the trucks were not accompanied by the agency’s officials but were only directed to return to their respective localities and sell the commodities at affordable prices. He said, “You know that our main concern is to make sure that the food items are not smuggled out of the country. We only refused to allow them to get into Niger Republic.” Commenting on the smuggling of food items out of the country, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria blamed wholesalers. He said wholesalers were purchasing large quantities of food from local farmers and clandestinely taking these products to countries such as Niger, Cameroon, and others. The Vice Chairman of AFAN, Lagos State chapter, Shakin Agbayewa, in an interview with The PUNCH, the practice not only deprived the local market of essential food supplies but also undermined the efforts of Nigerian farmers. Agbayewa alleged that wholesalers, driven by greed were disrupting the domestic food supply chain and negatively impacting the livelihoods of farmers across the nation. He accused them of creating artificial demand in the market while simultaneously sabotaging the economy. He stated, “So, what these people do is to buy farm produce from us in large quantities, store them in a warehouse, and ship them outside the country. They usually earn foreign exchange. They make more money going through this route.” The vice chairman emphasized the need for enhanced oversight and regulatory measures to tackle these exploitative practices and protect the interests of local farmers. He called upon security agencies to collaborate and ensure thorough investigations into the warehouses where these agricultural products are stored, with the aim of exposing any illicit activities. The National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Ibrahim lauded the Nigerian Customs Service for recently intercepting trucks of food. He recommended that smugglers should be prosecuted and be made to serve life imprisonment.

  Tuesday 20 February 2024 Labour mobilises for protest, tanker drivers strike triggers fuel queues Lion kills OAU veterinary worker during feeding Nigerians slam Seyi Tinubu for preaching endurance over economic hardship SSANU threatens protest as FG pays ASUU withheld salaries INEC speaks on Edo APC primary, protesters demand chairman sacking Many Nigerians can no longer afford beer -NB CEO Cement Manufacturers Agree To Reduce Price Of Product European Countries Summon Russian Diplomats Over Navalny’s Death Tinubu Stopped Fuel Subsidy Without Plans To Cushion Its Impacts – Bugaje OAU Zookeeper Killed By Lion He Nursed For Nine Years APC Youths, Women Protest Over Party’s Edo Gov Primary Poll Police Kill Prime Suspect In Rivers DPO Murder President Tinubu Arrives In Nigeria After AU Summit Nigeria’s Unemployment Rate Rises By 0.8% In Q3’23 Wike Issues Ultimatum To Abuja Technology Village Land Encroachers EFCC Quizzes Former Kwara Gov Ahmed Electricity: Forex crisis, inflation drive up meter prices by 80% —Investigation Hardship: We’re hungry, weak, Ibadan protesters tell Tinubu Hardship: Tinubu inherited failed economy – Daniel Presidential Jet Gulps Billions In Maintenance How Fuel Subsidy Removal Forced Dry Season Farmers Out Of Business Hardship: PDP backs own govs’ position against Tinubu, APC Court fixes March 4 to review arrest warrant for Fubara’s CoS SAfER: Oyo disburses N500m to 2,078 small business owners Stop tax waivers, Senate tells FIRS FG diverting funds through secret petrol subsidy –Atiku Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday raided some Bureau de Change operators at the Wuse Zone 4 area of Abuja on Monday. They were said to have arrested about 50 illegal operators. Against the backdrop of the falling value of the naira, the EFCC had raised a Special Task Force across its commands, to clamp down on individuals mutilating the Naira and dollarising the Nigerian economy. This was contained in a statement by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. “The EFCC has raised a Special Task Force in all its zonal commands for the enforcement of extant laws against currency mutilation and dollarisation of the economy. “The task force, inaugurated by the Executive Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, was raised to protect the economy from abuses, leakages, and distortions exposing it to instability and disruption”, the statement read. A Bureau de Change operator, Dayyabu Mistila, who confirmed the raid and subsequent arrest to newsmen, stated that the operatives said the raid was because of the rising exchange rate of the dollar and other currencies against the naira at the forex market. “Around 3 pm on Monday, officers of the EFCC raided Wuse Zone 4 and arrested over 50 of our members. They were complaining that BDC operators are responsible for the rising exchange rate of the dollar at the parallel exchange market ” he said. While official FMDQ data showed that the naira dropped to N1,574.62 per dollar on Monday, Mistila confirmed that they exchanged a dollar for N1,660. A viral video showed the moment the EFCC operatives stormed the BDC and shot in the air to disperse the operators who attempted to surround them. As of the time of filing this report, spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached on the telephone for comment

  Cement Manufacturers have agreed to sell a 50kg bag of cement at a retail price between N7,000 and N8,000, depending on location nationwide, PUNCH Online reports. However, the manufacturers stated that the price drop from the current market price would depend on the fulfilment of certain government interventions to ameliorate critical challenges faced in the industry. The Minister of Works, David Umahi disclosed this after a meeting with leading manufacturers on Monday in Abuja. The meeting was against the backdrop of the ballooning price of the commodity to approximately N13,000 in several retail stores in the Federal Capital Territory, and Enugu, indicating the impact of inflation within the country. Findings by PUNCH Online indicated that the price hike was attributed to the increase in wholesalers reselling to retailers and the escalating inflation rates. But at the meeting directed by President Bola Tinubu, Umahi lamented the current rate stating that it was abnormal and detrimental to economic prosperity sought after by the current administration. Reading the communique, the minister said certain issues including smuggling, bad roads, high energy costs, and the Forex crisis caused the high prices but stressed that manufacturers have expressed their readiness to be willing to bring down the prices in the future. He said, “The cement manufacturer has noted to the government that the present high cost of cement in the market is very much abnormal in some locations nationwide. Ideally, they noted that cement price, and retail price to a consumer should not cost more than between N7,000 to N8,000 per 50 kg bag of cement. “Therefore, the government and the cement manufacturers, which are Dangote Plc, BUA Plc and Lafarge Plc have agreed to have their cement price nationwide between N7,000 to N8,000 naira per 50 kg pack of cement, depending on the locations, which means that this price depends on the locations. “Going forward, the government advised manufacturers to set up a price monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance with the prices that are set today.” More details soon…

  Nigeria’s unemployment rate increased significantly in the third quarter of 2023, rising by 0.8% from Q2 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said. In its ‘Nigeria Labour Force Survey Q3 2023’ report published on Monday, the NBS said the country’s unemployment rate rose sharply from the 4.2% recorded in Q2 2023 to 5.0% in Q3 2023. The NBS said the labour force participation rate among the working-age population declined to 79.5% in Q3 2023 compared to 80.4% in Q2 2023. Giving a breakdown of the statistics, the Bureau said, “The employment-to-population ratio was 75.6% in Q3 2023 with a decrease of 1.5% compared to a ratio of Q2 2023. “The combined rate of unemployment and time-related underemployment as a share of the labour force population (LU2) increased to 17.3% in Q3 2023 from 15.5% in Q2 2023. “About 87.3% of workers were self-employed in Q3 2023. “The proportion of workers in Wage Employment in Q3 2023 was 12.7%. “The unemployment rate increased significantly in Q3 2023 at 5.0%. This is an increase of 0.8% from Q2 2023. “The rate of unemployment among persons with post-secondary education was 7.8% in Q3 2023.” The NBS said unemployment rate among youth aged (15-24 years) was 8.6% in Q3 2023, recording an ncrease of 1.4% compared to Q2 2023. “The unemployment rate in urban areas was 6.0% in Q3 2023, a slight increase of 0.1% from Q2 2023. “Time-related underemployment in Q3 2023 was 12.3%, showing a slight increase of 0.5% from the rate recorded in Q2 2023. This shows an increase of 1.4% compared to the rate in Q4 2022. “4.1% of the working-age population was in subsistence agriculture in Q3 2023. Informal employment rate in Q3 2023 was 92.3%, while Q2 2023 was 92.7%. “Percentage of youth Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET Rate) was 13.7% in Q3 2023,” the report added.