POLICE officers have been deployed in Ilorin to prevent a breakdown of law and order as workers in Kwara State join the nationwide protest declared by the National Labour Congress (NLC) over removal of fuel subsidies.
Members of the labour union have taken to the streets across the state in protest, seven days after the national leadership of the NLC threatened a nationwide strike over the hike in the cost of living caused by the removal of petrol subsidy.
The umbrella body for civil servants and public sector workers issued a seven-day ultimatum for Federal Government to reverse all anti-poor policies, such as the recent petrol pump price hike.
“Yes, we issued the Federal Government a seven-day deadline to conclude all negotiations with labour or risk industrial action by the Central Working Committee,” said Hakeem Ambali, the NLC’s national treasurer.
In Kwara, the protesting workers were seen on Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin, Wednesday, August 2. At the same time, police officers have been deployed to strategic locations in Ilorin to maintain peace during the protest.
The NLC continued with the protest despite the Senate’s appeal to suspend the exercise. The action is also against the order of the Industrial Court of Nigeria, which prohibited the congress from going on strike.
A protest against subsidy removal was once planned in June. However, it was suspended after the leadership of the NLC met with government officials.
THOUSANDS of workers in Kano, Kaduna, Bayelsa and other states across the country on Wednesday, August 2, joined the protests declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over economic challenges faced by Nigerians following the removal of petrol subsidy.
In Kano State, workers from various sectors, dressed in red and green caps, and carrying placards with different inscriptions, marched through major streets, chanting slogans and ‘aluta songs’ to demand improved welfare and an end to the current economic hardship.
On July 26, the NLC had threatened an industrial action to express its discontent over the rising cost of living, inadequate social amenities, and the general decline in the standard of living of workers and Nigerians at large.
The labour union vowed that it will commence a nationwide strike from August 2, despite the order of the Industrial Court of Nigeria, which prohibited the congress from going on strike.
The ICIR reports that the government asked the industrial court to prevent members of the labour union from withdrawing their services as it can “disrupt economic activities, the health and education sector”.
Despite the court granting the order pending a date that will be fixed for a hearing of the government’s arguments, the NLC directed all its affiliates and state chapters to begin mobilisation of workers and other Nigerians for a protest and an indefinite industrial strike.
Showing their displeasure over the government’s action, some workers and residents in Kaduna State also took to the street to join the labour protest and demanded for a review of policies introduced by the Federal Government.
Some of the protesters voiced their dissatisfaction through solidarity songs and placards. The State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had on Tuesday, August 1, called on workers and other citizens to come out in mass to protest against the Federal Government’s poor policies.
In the same vein, workers in Bayelsa State, trooped to the streets, condemning the government’s handling of the economic challenges facing the country.
The protesters, led by the state NLC chairman Simon Barnabas, marched along the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road to the gate of Government House, Yenagoa.
Meanwhile, the protest across these states have been peaceful so far with security forces monitoring the activity.
Protest in FCT
Earlier today, August 2, The ICIRreported that NLC President Joe Ajaero led the protest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The protesters gathered at the Unity Fountain in Abuja before moving around some streets to protest against the negative impact of fuel subsidy removal.
Ajaero disclosed that the Police tried to stop the protests in some states, but vowed that nothing will stop the exercise.
“The protest is on; it has taken off in all the states of the federation, barring some constraints, including police efforts to equally stop it in some areas.
“But to be candid with you, there is nothing stopping the protest. Not even an overture or promise of commitment or offer from the government. So I don’t understand why people feel that it will not hold. The protest is on and it will hold,” Ajaero said.
The Inspector General of Police had on Tuesday, August 1, warned labour against embarking on protests that could be hijacked by hoodlums.
NLC president, however, disclosed that the protest was necessary because negotiations between the Federal Government and labour have not yielded any positive results.
“It is equally in our own enlightened self-interest, based on the interest of the state, to determine whether the protest will be for today or tomorrow or next or till thy kingdom come.
“It is not by mere using forces to stop people from expressing their views.”
THE protests declared by organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), over economic challenges in the country occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy commenced in Abuja on Wednesday, August 2.
NLC President Joe Ajaero told journalists at the Unity Fountain in Abuja on Wednesday morning that the protests have also commenced in other states across the country.
He disclosed that the Police have tried to stop the protests in some states.
But the labour leader vowed that nothing will stop the exercise.
“The protest is on; it has taken off in all the states of the federation, barring some constraints, including police efforts to equally stop it in some areas.
“But to be candid with you, there is nothing stopping the protest. Not even an overture or promise of commitment or offer from the government. So I don’t understand why people feel that it will not hold. The protest is on and it will hold,” Ajaero said.
The protesters, including affiliate unions of the NLC and TUC, gathered at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, where the protest kicked off on Wednesday.
The ICIR observed that the protest is taking place amid heavy heavy security beef up. The Inspector General of Police had on Tuesday warned labour against embarking on protests that could be hijacked by hoodlums.
The NLC President, who did not clearly state how long the protests would last. He suggested that the demonstration could go on for as long as the Congress decides.
Ajaero noted that the protest was necessary because negotiations between the Federal Government and labour have not yielded any positive results.
“It is equally in our own enlightened self-interest, based on the interest of the state, to determine whether the protest will be for today or tomorrow or next or till thy kingdom come.
“It is not by mere using forces to stop people from expressing their views.
“So we are here for the protest and to make a statement to Nigerians that since we started even negotiations, there is nothing we have in our hands,” he said.
However, the organised private sector is warning against prolonged protests.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) Muda Yusuf warned against prolonging the protests to avoid disrupting small businesses and limit the risk of violent outbreaks.
“The nature of protests is such that most times, you cannot predict how it will end because labour was not specific about the number of days and from experience, the longer the number of days, the greater the risk of losing control of the whole protests, and we know what the consequences are for businesses, especially for small businesses.
“So making the protest peaceful and keeping it as short as possible, I think it something that we need to stress in the interest of everybody, both of the economy and the citizens themselves. Of course, that will not diminish the effectiveness of the messaging that labour is trying to put forward,” Yusuf said.
Ahead of the protests, Acting Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun warned that violent protests would not be tolerated.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 1, Egbetokun expressed concerns over the planned protests and urged parties involved to ensure that the demonstrations remain peaceful.
The protests come after deadlocked negotiations between organised labour and the government over the effects of removal of petrol subsidy.
Although Nigerian President Bola Tinubu assured that measures will be put in place to mitigate the hardships in an address on Monday, July 31, NLC insisted that the promises made were not in tune with the hardships confronting citizens.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is yet to approve the proposed 114 per cent increment in the remuneration of public office holders, one month after the plan generated controversy.
The spokesperson of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Christian Nwachukwu, told The ICIR that the proposed increment has not been approved.
When asked if the Commission has met again with the President on the matter, after the controversy that trailed reports on the increment, Nwachukwu said, “There is nothing to say about it for now.”
The ICIRreported, in June, how RMAFC announced a 114 per cent increase in the remunerations of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and other political and judicial office holders during a report presentation in Kebbi State.
The Commission later claimed that the approval had not been authorised by the President, noting that review of public officers’ salaries was last conducted in 2007.
However, mixed reactions trailed announcement which came barely weeks after the President announced the removal of fuel subsidy that skyrocketed the prices of basic goods and services, especially transportation.
In a swift reaction reported by The ICIR, the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy to the President, Dele Aleke, also refuted the claim by the Commission saying the president has not approved the 114 per cent increment.
“The misinformation was, obviously, contrived to create an ill will for the new administration, slow down the upward momentum and massive goodwill the Tinubu-led administration is currently enjoying among Nigerians as a result of its fast-paced, dynamic and progressive policies,” he said.
A policy expert, Chimezie Anajama, told The ICIR that, while the Commission only carried out its mandate, the timing of the information was wrong as Nigerians were still adjusting to the harsh effects of the new policies introduced by the government.
She said, “A lot of policy reforms implemented recently are neo-liberal. On one hand, these policy reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidy and the signing of the student loan bill into an Act are commendable, but on the other hand, the fuel subsidy removal also brought a high level of suffering to Nigerians. Citizens are also paying more taxes as some of the new taxes and their rates are very regressive because the wealthy are taxed less compared to the poor.”
Offering palliatives not enough
In another development, the government also announced plans to give N8000 cash palliatives to vulnerable Nigerians but after criticism, ordered a review. The ICIR captured how feasible this palliative scheme would be.
Meanwhile, Tinubu, in his recent address, listed out plans to ease the hardship of Nigerians as they adjust to the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
Anajama said that the government needs to be comprehensive in finding the right approach to alleviating the current economic challenges faced by all Nigerians.
“It is not just by offering palliatives but yielding to progressive taxation where the wealthy are taxed more against what we have currently where the poor bear heavy tax burdens, and also creating a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive to suck in the huge population of unemployed Nigerians which will improve economic growth overall”, she added.
WAGNER group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has emerged as a staunch advocate of the military coup in Niger Republic.
The erstwhile presidential guards, now Niger’s new military rulers, have been at the receiving end of condemnations and threats from the international community ever since they pushed aside the elected President, Mohammed Bazoum, on Wednesday, July 26. African leaders and the international community have rallied round Bazoum, who was held hostage by the ‘National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland’, the military junta headed by Omar Tchiani, former commander of the presidential guards.
The African Union (AU) on July 28 issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta to reinstall Niger’s democratically elected government. The AU Peace and Security Council, after an emergency meeting, directed the soldiers behind the coup to “return immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days”. The AU also demanded immediate and unconditional release of Bazoum, warning that failure to do so would compel it to take “necessary action, including punitive measures” against the military junta.
The sub-regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Sunday, July 30, went a step further by imposing sanctions and threatening military force against the coup leaders, if they fail to reinstate Bazoum within a week. ECOWAS leaders had convened an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigerian capital, to address the coup. A communique issued after the meeting announced sanctions on the military rulers, including travel ban and asset freeze. With immediate effect, the sub-regional leaders agreed that borders with Niger would be closed and commercial flights banned. Also, financial transactions are to be halted, Niger’s national assets in member countries frozen and aid would be ended.
Further measures would be taken against Niger if constitutional order was not restored in the country. “Such measures may include the use of force,” the communique noted, adding that defence ministers of member nations would meet to discuss further on the procedure.
Russia’s Wagner Group defends coup
It remains to be seen whether ECOWAS would indeed send troops to Niger to force the military leaders to step down. But Niger’s military rulers already have capable military support in Prigozhin and his Wagner Group.
Members of the Wagner Group Image credit: Jagran English.
Even before ECOWAS leaders threatened force against the coup leaders, Prigozhin had, in a message posted on social media, defended the coup, going ahead to suggest that his mercenaries would be ready and willing to work for the military leaders should the need arise. Prigozhin’s Wagner Group fighters are currently in neighboring Mali at the invitation of the country’s military junta.
Defending the coup in Niger, Prigozhin blamed the development on the ‘legacies’ of colonialism and alleged that Western countries, such as United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and others, were sponsoring terrorism in the West African country. “What happened in Niger has been brewing for years. The former colonizers are trying to keep the people of African countries in check. In order to keep them in check, the former colonizers are filling these countries with terrorists and various bandit formations. Thus creating a colossal security crisis. The population suffers. And this is the (the reason for) love for PMC (private military company) Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner. Because a thousand soldiers of PMC Wagner are able to establish order and destroy terrorists, preventing them from harming the peaceful population of states.”
Supporters of Niger coup leaders seek Russia’s backing
The Tchiani-led National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, now in charge in Niger, is yet to, publicly, respond to the Wagner Group’s overtures. But supporters of the country’s new military leaders have already aligned with Russia, openly seeking the backing of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Niger presidential guards announced a coup on national TV/BBC
Although the Russian government had, in the immediate aftermath of the coup, condemned the development, demanding Bazoum’s release by the junta, thousands of supporters of the new military government responded to the threat of military force issued by ECOWAS on Sunday, July 30 by staging a sometimes violent protest in front of the French Embassy in Niamey, the country’s capital. The demonstrators, who voiced anger over colonial ruler France’s influence over the country, chanted in support of Russia and its ruler, Putin.
The French flag was burnt by the mob, and according to reports by CNN, amid chants of “Long live Russia!”, “Long live Putin!”, “Down with France!”, the protesters tore down a plaque identifying the French Embassy, marched on it and then replaced it with Russian and Nigerien flags.
France, Western nations fret over coup
It is indeed troubling times for France, especially, and other Western nations, whose influence in Africa is being continuously eroded by anti-democratic forces which are bent on upending historical alliances and relationships.
Niger was a French colony until its independence in 1960. France has maintained a strong influence on the West African country and its natural resources ever since.
Niger hosts a French military base and is the world’s seventh-biggest producer of uranium, a fuel which is vital for nuclear power. A greater volume of the country’s uranium deposits goes to Europe, particularly France. Bazoum was a staunch ally of the West in the fight against militant Islamists. He was also seen as a strong economic partner of Western nations. His election in 2021 was Niger’s first democratic transition of power since independence in 1960.
Ousted Niger Republic President Mohammed Bazoum
However, attacks by Islamist jihadists escalated in Niger after he came to power, and there is a belief among citizens that the French is not doing enough to help the country. Rather, France has been accused of only being interested in exploiting the country’s mineral resources. The anti-French sentiment, a major driving factor in the Niger coup, also contributed to the successful military overthrow of democratically elected governments in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso.
Once they took power, Mali’s military rulers embraced the Wagner Group after first forcing out French troops. The junta then pushed for the departure of thousands of United Nations (UN) peacekeepers. Burkina Faso’s military government has also grown close to Russia and expelled hundreds of French forces.
Bazoum’s government regularly banned anti-French protests, which became regular in the country after he approved the redeployment of France’s Barkhane forces to Niger after they were ordered to leave Mali. The presence of French troops in Niger, in addition to the rising cost of living and poor governance, was a major complaint against Bazoum’s administration.
French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to condemn the coup, describing it as “completely illegitimate and deeply dangerous to Nigeriens, Niger, and for the entire region”. Macron demanded the “liberation of President Bazoum and the restoration of the constitutional order” while also backing sanctions and any other measures taken by ECOWAS and the AU. France, alongside other members of the European Union (EU) equally cut off financial support to Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries.
But it appears that the colonial power is now being forced to retreat from its former colony.
Following the attacks on its embassy in Niamey, France authorities, on Tuesday, July 1, commenced preparations to evacuate French and other European nationals from the country.
The United States (US) joined France in condemning the coup, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken going further to warn the military junta that “hundreds of millions of dollars of (US) assistance was at risk” if Bazoum was not reinstalled as President. According to a statement from the US State Department, Blinken also called Bazoum severally to pledge America’s “unflagging support” to the deposed President. Like France, the US also backed the sanctions advanced by the AU and ECOWAS against the coup leaders. On July 26, the European Union (EU) suspended all security assistance to Niger, further announcing it would no longer provide financial support to the country. “This unacceptable attack on the integrity of Niger’s republican institutions will not remain without consequences for the partnership and cooperation between the European Union and Niger, in all its various aspects,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borell said.
Russia’s allies back coup leaders
While the Western nations fret over the coup in Niger, Russia’s profile has continued to rise in the country. BBC reported that since the July 26 coup, Russian flags have suddenly appeared on the streets of Niger.
Russia has not publicly endorsed the coup. But Putin’s allies in the sub-region have backed Niger’s military rulers.
Although he led an armed rebellion against the Kremlin in June, Prigozhin and his Wagner Group could still be advancing the interests of the Russian government, as happened in the Ukraine war. At the end of the uprising against the Kremlin, Prigozhin and his troops agreed to leave Russia and head to Belarus but, according to CNN, the Wagner Group leader was seen in St. Petersburg, Russia’s capital, on July 27, meeting with an African leader on the sidelines of a summit between African nations and Russia.
Prigozhin speaking out in defence of the coup could as well be Russia backing the military junta, by proxy.
Yevgeny Prigozhin Image credit/ Politico.eu
But the most telling indication of Russia’s direct, or indirect, influence on the state of affairs in Niger came on July 31, when the military governments of Burkina Faso and Mali warned that any military intervention against the coup leaders would be considered a “declaration of war” against their nations. The military governments in the two countries forged alliances with Russia after overthrowing pro-Western democratically elected governments. In a clearly coordinated move, the pro-Russia military rulers of Mali and Burkina Faso issued the warning in a joint statement read out on their national televisions. The warning was in apparent response to the threat by ECOWAS of possible deployment of military force against the coup leaders.
“Any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,” the two countries warned. They added that such action could result in disastrous consequences that could destabilise the entire region. Mali and Burkina Faso did not stop at that. They declared that they have refused to apply the “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger”, thereby undermining the measures taken by ECOWAS and members of the international community against the coup.
THE Presidential Election Tribunal on Tuesday, August 1, reserved judgment on the petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) against the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
Atiku and Obi, in different suits, are challenging the declaration of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In Atiku’s case, the respondents in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Tinubu and the All Progressives Party (APC).
After adopting the parties’ final written addresses, the Tribunal reserved judgment on the petition.
The Chairman of the Tribunal, Simon Haruna Tsammani, announced that the verdict would be given at a later time that would be made known to all parties.
The lead lawyer for Atiku, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated in his concluding statement that the fact that no presidential election had ever been nullified in the country should not be a reason for not nullifying the result of the 2023 poll.
He maintained that the technical difficulties encountered during the transfer of results were intentional in order to permit manipulation.
Uche requested that Tinubu be removed from office due to the American Court ruling that ordered him to forfeit $460,000 for drug and money laundering-related offences.
He also requested the Tribunal to consider the report from the European Union (EU).
Uche, however, urged the Tribunal to either grant the petitioner’s request for relief or, failing that, to void the election and order a new one.
In his submission, APC’s legal representative, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, asserted that there is no written or verbal evidence from Chicago University refuting Tinubu’s enrollment.
Fagbemi said the forfeiture was a civil one and is not a disqualification factor.
“It is not a disqualifying factor. No evidence of arraignment or pleadings. It was a civil forfeiture proceeding,” he said.
Additionally, he claimed that the forfeiture issue occurred 20 years ago, stating, “without conceding our constitution is a forgiving one”.
He added that the United States of America had awarded his client a clean bill of health.
Regarding the President’s relief from having dual citizenship, Fagbemi cited Section 137 (1a) to make the case that a citizen by birth cannot be disqualified for having citizenship in another country.
Tinubu’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, requested that the case be dismissed because INEC is the object of Atiku and PDP’s complaints.
Olanipekun argued that the petition should be dismissed because it is without merit and referred to the petitioner as an intrusive outsider.
He added that the FCT counts as 37th state for electoral purposes. In Abuja, the second respondent received two-thirds of one-fourth of the votes.
Lawyer to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, said the petitioners’ evidence demonstrated INEC’s sincere intentions to use technology to hold a legitimate election.
He claimed that the petition utterly failed to prove that human meddling caused the IReV problem and that it harmed the election’s result.
The presidential election petition Tribunal also reserved judgment in the suit filed by Obi of the LP.
Obi, who came third in the election, was present in the court alongside his Vice Presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed and award-winning novelist, Chimamanda Adichie.
Obi filed a petition in March challenging the outcome of the February 25 poll.
Obi and his party are asking the court to nullify Tinubu’s victory.
In their final written address dated July 20, the petitioners insisted that Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were not qualified to contest the poll.
The petitioners had said Tinubu, due to the forfeiture of $460,000 in the US and his failure to receive 25 per cent of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Tinubu should not have been declared President.
The petitioners ended their case on June 23 after interrogating 13 witnesses.
Tuesday’s court session saw the adoption of the petitioners’ and respondents’ final written addresses.
INEC counsel, Mahmoud, requested that the court dismiss the petition
“We humbly submit that this petition is lacking in merit and should be dismissed,” he said.
APC lawyer Fagbemi, as well and Tinubu and Shettima’s counsel, Olanipekun, also asked the court to dismiss the petitioners’ lawsuit.
In both Atiku and Obi s cases, the five-member panel of justices led by Tsammani reserved judgment, noting that a date would be communicated to the parties.
THERE was division in the Senate on Tuesday, August 1, over the screening of former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai, for a ministerial position following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu.
A high level of insecurity was recorded in Kaduna State during El Rufai’s tenure as governor. If confirmed by the Senate, he will be heading a ministry for the second time as he was minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
After El Rufai’s presented his profile to the upper legislative house, Senate President Godwin Akpabio opened the floor for questions, leading to a division among the senators. While some senators believed the former Kaduna governor should take his bow and leave, others, including Senator AbdulAziz Yari representing Zamfara West and Senator Karimi Sunday from Kogi West, chose to quiz him.
Karimi Sunday questioned his handling of security challenges in Kaduna and also submitted a petition, wrapped in a brown envelope, to the Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who briefly presided over the senate during the questioning.
Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, asked El Rufai three questions bordering on energy, power and electricity.
However, the Kaduna North senator, Ibrahim Khalid argued that El Rufai has proven his ability and strength and should be allowed to take a bow and leave without answering the questions asked by his colleagues.
He also said that the Senate should approve his nomination, stating that the people of Kaduna and the three representing senators have resolved and agreed to support his nomination.
He said: “I wish to inform the senate that the three senators of Kaduna state in consultation with the people of Kaduna across the political divide have resolved and agreed that we should support the nomination of this very important nominee (El Rufai). He’s well known nationally and internationally and has the capacity to continue with the good deed he has been doing when he was a minister.
“In this regard, I want to urge the senate to consider this and also based on the established precedence since yesterday in respect of his colleagues, the two governors who came and appeared before us-nobody asked them questions because of their pedigree, they were asked to take a bow and go.
“We therefore asked the senate, even with the questions that were asked, to do ask the nominee to take a bow and go. We know him and know he’s capable.”
Also, Senator Sani Musa of Niger State applauded the nominee and urged the Senate to allow him to take a bow and leave, stressing that other things can be determined during the confirmation stage.
Meanwhile, while attempting to answer questions on insecurity in Kaduna State after addressing queries on power and energy, El Rufai was interrupted by the Senate President who had just returned to the hall.
An official of the Senate standing by the nominee switched off his microphone, while Akpabio said the Senate will look into the petition submitted against him together with other petitions submitted against some other nominees.
The ICIR on July 27, reported that President Bola Tinubu nominated 28 persons for screening and confirmation as ministers by the 10th Senate.
Tinubu sent the list containing the nominees to the Senate through his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, July 27.
Among the nominees are former governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers); David Umahi (Ebonyi); Nasri El Rufai (Kaduna); and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa).
An aircraft has crashed into a building in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The incident occurred in the afternoon on Tuesday, August 1.
The aircraft burst into flames after it collided with a building adjacent to the AP filling station on Oba Akran Street, a few metres to its destination at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
According to an eyewitness account, two people believed to be the pilots of the helicopter were rescued, but it was uncertain how many passengers were on board the ill-fated chopper.
Emergency operatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Lagos Fire and Rescue Service arrived on ground to effect emergency services.
The Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua, told TheICIR that two passengers were receiving medical attention.
“It’s true. Fortunately, there’s no casualty. The two passengers are receiving medical attention,” Yakubu-Funtua said.
He would not disclose the identity of the aircraft.
FOLLOWING the reported cancellation of his 62nd birthday celebration, a claim that Peter Obi celebrated his 50th birthday in 2013 has circulated online.
The claim is circulating alongside a screen grab of a report published by The Nation newspaper on July 19, 2013, which reads: “Why I’ll not celebrate my 50th birthday, by Obi.”
Obi is the candidate of the Labour Party in Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election held in February.
A Twitter user with the Twitter Blue tick, @StFreakingKezy tweeted the claim with a caption that read:
“Happy Birthday in advance to Mr Peter Obi the presidential candidate of the Labour Party Many happy returns. 2013: 50 years old. 2023: 62 years old. Abeg @U_Rochas which one should we believe now????”
The tweet has garnered over 300,000 views, more than 300 retweets and over 900 likes as of July 20, 2023.
Another Twitter user, @PastorMarvy, tweeted the claim with a caption which read:
“50 years in 2013. 62 years in 2023. How old is Peter “Barry Allen” Obi? Because this story no clear.”
The tweet has garnered more than 53,000 views, over 100 retweets and more than 260 likes as of July 20, 2023.
Similarly, another Twitter user with the Twitter Blue tick, @scarfizal also tweeted the claim with another caption thus:
“ In 2013, Peter Obi celebrated 50 years in 2023. Peter Obi is celebrating 62 years, yet his online Zombidiots always want to project the fraudulent ways of their principal on Tinubu. Peter Obi is a fraud yesterday today and tomorrow.”
CLAIM
Peter Obi celebrated his 50th birthday in 2013.
Screenshot of one of the viral tweets.
BACKGROUND
On Monday, July 17, 2023, Peter Obi via his verified Twitter announced that he would not be celebrating his 62nd birthday due to the deplorable state of the country.
He tweeted: “Wednesday 19th July 2023, marks my 62nd Birthday. While I remain immensely grateful to God for His infinite mercies, I still maintain my decision of over 20 years, that I will not celebrate my birthdays in today’s Nigeria, with the current deplorable state of the nation. However, some friends, members of the Labour Party, and OBIdient Family and supporters have asked how they can join me in celebrating that day, and even present some gifts.”
Following the announcement, some Nigerian Twitter users dug out a news report published by The Nation newspaper quoting Obi to have said he would not be celebrating his 50th in 2013. This suggests that he is 60 years old and not 62 as he has claimed this year.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by TheFactCheckHub show that Peter Obi’s age is currently 62-year-old.
According to information uploaded on the Labour Party’s website, Peter Obi was born on July 19, 1961. This makes him 62 years old in 2023 and 52 in 2013. This tallies with his profile published by Daily Trust in 2018 and his record published by Legit.ng in January, 2023.
Similarly, Obi was reported to be 61 years old last year, according to his official records for the Nigerian presidential election published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in September 2022.
Checks by TheFactCheckHub revealed that it is not only The Nation that reported that Obi clocked 50 in 2013. Some online platforms such as Ynaija, and Information.ng also reported the same information ten years ago.
The Punch also reported that Obi turned 50 in 2013 in a now-deleted post obtained through Wayback Machine, a digital service that allows people to visit archived versions of web links.
THE VERDICT
The claim that Peter Obi was 50 in 2013 is FALSE; multiple media reports and INEC record show that Peter Obi was born on July 19, 1961. Thus, he was 52 years old in 2013 and currently, he is 62 years old in 2023.
MEMBERS of the House of Representatives have promised to hasten the passage of an upward review of the minimum wage once it is presented to the National Assembly by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This was contained in a statement by Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, on Tuesday, August 1.
“The House also welcomes the planned upward review of the national minimum wage and will consider and approve once transmitted to the National Assembly by the Presidency.
“On our part in the House of Representatives, we will closely monitor every MDA that will be involved in the implementation to ensure speedy delivery, equitable distribution, and transparency,” he noted.
The statement comes a day after Tinubu addressed citizens on Monday, July 31, over socio-economic challenges resulting from changes implemented by the current administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy.
In his address, Tinubu promised an upward review of the national minimum wage, among other measures targeted at cushioning the current hardships confronting Nigerians.
“We are also working in collaboration with the Labour unions to introduce a new national minimum wage for workers. I want to tell our workers this: your salary review is coming. Once we agree on the new minimum wage and general upward review, we will make budget provision for it for immediate implementation,” Tinubu said.
He also promised that buses would be rolled out across states and local governments to provide citizens with affordable transportation.
“We have made provision to invest N100 billion between now and March 2024 to acquire 3000 units of 20-seater CNG-fuelled buses. These buses will be shared to major transportation companies in the states, using the intensity of travel per capita. Participating transport companies will be able to access credit under this facility at 9 per cent per annum with 60 months’ repayment period,” Tinubu said.
In the statement by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, the legislators commended the President’s efforts to mitigate the harsh economic conditions in the country.
“The House commends President Tinubu for his interventions in the manufacturing sector via support for small and medium scale enterprises, as well as the plan to work with the State Governments to invest in critical social and economic infrastructure and to deploy 3,000 commuter buses, amongst other measures.
“The integrated interventions would stimulate economic productivity, boost agriculture production, create jobs, and improve living conditions,” Rotimi further noted.
Nigerians have been faced with the biting effect of fuel subsidy removal, which took effect upon Tinubu’s assumption of office as President.
Tinubu declared fuel subsidy gone during his inaugural speech on May 29, which resulted in the immediate hoarding of petrol by marketers and a hike in the pump price of the product by about 200 per cent.
Transport costs rose as a result and prices of commodities followed suit, leaving many residents in dire straits.
However, oil and gas analysts argue that the subsidy removal is the right step, as it has been an avenue for smuggling the product outside the country’s shores and other forms of corruption, causing a non-profitable decline in Nigeria’s revenue.
