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Bear with me, local refineries will begin production soon— Tinubu begs Nigerians again

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President Bola Tinubu has once again pleaded with Nigerians to bear with him in the face of the hardship they are going through as a result of the sudden removal of fuel subsidy in his inaugural speech on May 29, without adequate palliative measures put on ground.

President Tinubu who, on different occasions, has called on Nigerians to bear the pains his administration has inflicted on them saying they are only temporary, once again reiterated that the four refineries in the country would soon commence operations for the production of petroleum products which would bring succour to the people.

During his maiden speech, Tinubu had also vowed to do everything possible to see that one of the biggest local refineries located in Port Harcourt would recommence operations by December 2023; but with a month to the end of the year, anxiety is building as to whether it would be yet another failed promise.

However, during the 11th Convocation ceremony of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) on Saturday, Tinubu once again promised that not only would he do all it took to fix the refineries, but that they would soon resume optimum production which would ultimately bring down the high cost of petroleum products in the country.

“Very soon, some of our local refineries will start production, and the current exorbitant prices of fuel energy will be greatly reduced,” Tinubu said through his representative, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Professor Garba Sharubutu.

Acknowledging the economic hardship in the country, Tinubu appealed for patience and continued support from Nigerians for his administration as efforts were made to address the challenges in the country.

“Bear with us and remain resolutely in support of this administration, as we would leave no stone unturned in reversing the severe hardships that our people are currently passing through.

“Part of the supplementary budget that the Parliament has approved will be applied to bring interventions to critical segments of the agricultural sector.

“The burden of insecurity is clearly a major challenge in Nigeria, but I assure you that in no distant time, it will become history,” he added.

The previous day, the Group Managing Director of state-owned oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, had also announced that the country would end the importation of refined petroleum products by December 2024, while briefing lawmakers on steps being taken by the corporation to achieve the deadline.

Kyari said that all the four refineries in the country located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna would be operational by then.

“I can confirm to you that by the end of December this year, we will start the Port Harcourt refinery; early in the first quarter of 2024, we will start the Warri refinery; and by the end of 2024, Kaduna refinery will come into operation.

“We will no longer be talking about fuel importation by the end of 2024. I am very optimistic that this will crystallize,” he had said.

Metro

10 persons on FBI wanted list arrested in Nigeria– FG

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The Nigerian government has confirmed that at least 10 persons who were on the wanted list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and on the watchlist of the Interpol have been arrested while attempting to sneak into Nigeria.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who revealed this during the unveiling of the Technology Innovation Complex at the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday by President Bola Tinubu, said the wanted persons were arrested after intense intelligence.

The minister said the newly-installed facility at the centre would ascertain the risk level of persons entering the country, detect irregular migration patterns, and monitor unmanned borders in hard-to-reach areas nationwide.

“In the last couple of days, there were 10 people who were on the interpol and immigration wanted list who were apprehended in one week,” Tunji-Ojo told the President.

“Before now, those people would have entered Nigeria, caused terror. But we have now told them that under the new leadership, Nigeria is a no-go area for any criminal element,” he explained.

Tunji-Ojo further stated that aside from an installed solar power plant of 0.5KWs, 250 trained officers maintain eight-hour shifts to monitor the borders round the clock.

“We decided to do an end-to-end solution. One that has an energy solution to power this facility. The 0.5KW solar power plant is 100 per cent ready here and it has been connected to the facility to power it.

“Also, the human factor is fundamental because you can build a structure, but how about the human element?

“What we’ve been able to do is to train 250 officers. As I speak, we run shifts of eight hours three times a day which is 24/7 surveillance,” he said.

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Metro

Zambia: Ex-President Lungu alleges political manipulation after barring from 2026 poll

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Former Zambian President, Edgar Lungu, has described his ban from participating in the 2026 presidential election by the Constitutional Court as political manipulation rather than constitutional principles.

Lungu who reacted to the decision of the court to bar him from future elections, described the verdict as anticipated but reflective of political interference but vowed to focus on a ‘Plan B’ strategy following the Constitutional Court judgment.

Lungu who bared his mind in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lusaka, said the verdict was anticipated but reflective of political interference.

“We find ourselves at a critical juncture in our nation’s history, a moment marked by deep reflection and, I dare say, a profound sense of our common identity and destiny. The verdict rendered today was expected,” Lungu stated.

“For months, the hands of political manipulation have, with undeniable force, steered us toward a conclusion foreseen not by the merits of reasoned argument or constitutional fidelity but by the weight of orchestrated design and political machinations.”

Lungu however, urged Zambians to revisit the sequence of events leading up to the judgment, claiming his exclusion from politics was driven by calculated political interventions.

“It began with a petition that sought to exclude me from the political arena—not through the natural verdict of the people on the ballot paper, but by the calculated intervention of political forces sponsored by political players,” he explained.

The former president also accused unnamed actors of restructuring the judiciary to achieve their objectives.

“Yes, specific judges were expelled in order to retain specific judges specifically for today’s judgment! We saw decisions cloaked in procedural justifications concocted by that same unmistakable hand of expediency.

“Of course, we all witnessed calculated judicial reshuffles by politicians for their plan to land here today.

“Democracy, my fellow citizens, is not merely a system of governance but the lifeblood of our national identity.”

Lungu also announced that a “Plan B” had been initiated and would focus on upholding the power of the people.

“Plan B will prove that no machination can extinguish the power of the Zambian people and that institutions must serve the public, not the ambitions of a few,” he emphasized.

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