A Nigeria-based anti-corruption group, SecureWorld and Liberty Initiative for Peace, SELIP, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the outgoing Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, for allegedly using the establishment of a national carrier, Nigeria Air, to perpetrate fraud and commit economic sabotage.
The petition, which was addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was signed by the Executive Director of SELIP, Comrade Mark Adebayo, requesting the anti-graft agency to investigate the outgoing minister for undertaking ventures designed to benefit a few individuals and lead to the eventual collapse of aviation, a critical sector of the Nigerian economy.
The group noted with dismay the unveiling of an aircraft on Friday in Abuja purportedly belonging to Nigeria Air, despite an existing court order restraining the minister from taking any action regarding the project.
The group alleged that in a desperate bid to hoodwink President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and the generality of Nigerians, the minister imported a re-painted aircraft owned by Ethiopian Airlines and passed it off as the maiden flight belonging to Nigeria Air.
The civil society group averred that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos headed by Justice A.L Allagoa, in a suit filed by the Airline Operators of Nigeria, had granted three separate orders of injunctions, restraining the Federal Government from taking any step about the Nigeria Air project ‘but the minister in a desperate bid to cover up the monumental fraud in the deal elected to flagrantly disobeyed an order of a court of competent jurisdiction and produced a sham called unveiling of Nigeria Air flight last Friday.’
“We are compelled to bring to your attention that the aircraft purportedly unveiled on Friday, May 26, 2023, by Minister Sirika, as the first flight of the national carrier, Nigeria Air, is still in active service of Ethiopia Airlines. We can confirm that the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 with the registration number ET-APL, has since left the country this weekend for Turkey according to a check on the flight radar; it only transited Nigeria for the farce of a show put up by the minister. The flight landing in the country with Ethiopia Airlines’ registration number means Nigeria Air has no Air Operator Certificate. No aircraft can be registered in Nigeria without the carrier having an AOC which means that the aircraft does not belong to Nigeria Air either as leased or owned equipment. So, Sirika should not be allowed to fool Nigerians,” the group said in the petition.
The group urged the anti-graft agency to make Sirika account for a whopping N15.9 billion that has been committed so far to the project by the federal government, alleging that the desperation by the minister is geared towards covering up the misappropriation of funds and monumental fraud.
“The unveiling was a desperate attempt to justify the N15.9 billion appropriated by the federal government to Nigeria Air since 2016. The phantom project has continued to lick up budgetary provisions; N1.3 billion was allotted to it in the 2023 budget with an additional N700 million as ‘working capital’ and N200 million as consultancy fee; so, the minister must not be allowed to hoodwink Nigerians with the ‘importation of a rented aircraft into the country and pass it off as a step to the commencement of the operation of the airline days to his exit from office. This act of fraud and economic terrorism must not be allowed to go unpunished,” the petition read.
Sirika claimed that Nigeria Air Limited is a private sector-led airline, with only five per cent of the company owned by the Nigerian government. The minister also added that a consortium of entrepreneurs in Nigeria owns 46 percent while investors in Ethiopian Airlines retain 49 percent of the shares.
However, SELIP in the petition, countered the minister saying the conception and implementation of the national carrier project were shrouded in ambiguity and designed to defraud the people of Nigeria by a few Nigerians in connivance with their international collaborators.
“There’s no agreement with the stakeholders in Nigeria, so on what basis has a painted plane be brought in to deceive Nigerians? The lack of transparency on funding and alleged zero consideration for local players and national interest is frightening as the proposed Shareholders’ Agreement which is yet to be signed the, reserves all Executive Directors positions for the Ethiopians with Nigerians as deputies,” the group said.
SELIP said Sirika must be compelled to explain why in the proposed Shareholder Agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will also collect millions of dollars yearly as management fees despite having 49% shares and why the East African company will attract such grace by using just their own planes as contributions to the project.
The group also charged the EFCC to probe the 3% of the total shares allocated to Fairfax Ltd which was appointed as the Transaction Adviser to the project.
SELIP appealed to the anti-graft agency to probe the deal that granted Fairfax Nigeria Limited the shares without paying a dime.
“This company will also be paid millions of dollars monthly and will be in charge of procurement for Nigeria Air. There is overwhelming evidence that Sirika has a substantial interest in Fairfax Nigeria Limited albeit by proxies, and one of the most curious things is why a firm incorporated in March 2021 without robust experience in the aviation industry will be factored into such a monumental project. Please, use your good office to probe the perpetration of conflict of interest and grand fraud against the Nigerian people so that sanity will be restored in that sector and cause a rebound in the confidence of investors in the industry,” the group said.
SELIP said the implementation of the project is capable of undermining the efforts of the incoming Bola Tinubu administration and the EFCC must make the promoters of the phantom deal face the full length of the law.
“Being a high flight risk after May 29th, 2023, we demand the immediate arrest of Minister Hadi Sirika before he flees the country. We urge your Commission to keep perfect vigilance on Minister Sirika and not allow him to escape from these shores but be made to answer for his massive corruption that is bound to harm the critical sector of Nigeria’s Aviation Industry.
“This scam scheme can only be compared to the daring scam by a Nigerian who sold a phantom airport to some Brazilians years ago. We are sure the Commission has an institutional memory of that obnoxious financial crime that caused Nigeria international embarrassment. The current scam is no less obnoxious.
“We have confidence that the EFCC will do justice and timely, too, to get to the bottom of this scam and save Nigeria’s Aviation Industry from the impending doom,” the petition read.
Signed
Comrade Mark Adebayo
Executive Director, SELIP
Do not leave us behind, landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), plead
Gaborone, Botswana, 30 May 2023 (ECA) – Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) need global support to turn around their social and economic fortunes to achieve sustainable development in line with the goals of the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA).
A High-level Africa Regional Review of the Vienna Programme of Action for the Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024 which ended in Gaborone, Botswana, concluded that African LLDCs should not be left behind in attaining sustainable development.
Speaking at the closure of a two day meeting convened in preparation of the Third United Nations Conference on LLDCs to be held in 2024, Botswana’s Acting Minister of Trade, Mabuse Pule said LLDCs should be part of an inclusive and sustainable future. He urged that current partnerships between LLDCs and transit countries should be further strengthened.
“I implore the transit countries, development partners, relevant UN agencies and other organizations to continue this pact in the lead up to the 3rd UN Conference on LLDCs. We really need to join forces to ensure that no LLDCs are left behind as we strive towards a future that is inclusive, sustainable and prosperous for all in the next decade,” said Mr. Pule.
Addressing the same meeting, Mr. Francis Ikome, Chief, Regional Integration Section in the Regional Integration and Trade Division at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said the high participation of LLDCs at the review meeting underscored the importance attached to challenges and realities faced by the 16 African landlocked countries.
The two-day meeting held under the theme, “From Vienna to Kigali: towards a new decade of partnerships for a transformative Programme of Action for LLDCs’ reviewed the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action in Africa. It discussed achievements, constraints, emerging challenges and opportunities for achieving sustainable development and SDGs and Agenda 2063 in LLDCs.
Mr. Ikome noted that the meeting had shared available opportunities that should be leveraged by African LLDCs so they are not left behind in the march towards the SDGs and Agenda 2063.
Admitting that the review of the implementation of the VPoA indicated a mix of progress and some regress, Mr. Ikome said there are many commonalities among the LLDCs but more work needs to be done.
“There was an agreement that in as much as the situation appears so dire there is no cause for despair,” he said, remarking that many times crises herald opportunities and a rethink in needed actions.
“The ECA will continue to support African LLDCs with alternative means of financing because we know that Overseas Development Assistance and other forms of financing are drying up and our partners have challenges of their own and a means of implementation is key,” said Mr. Ikome, noting that Africa’s hosting of the 3rd UN Conference on LLDCs was a lifetime opportunity and an occasion for Africa to influence and shape outcomes to advance the interests of African LLDCs.
The regional review meeting adopted the Gaborone Outcome Document, which called for the acceleration of SDG implementation to take LLDCs out of prolonged crisis while committing to implementing action at the national, regional and global levels to accelerate progress on agreed policies, programmes and investments.
High Representative and Under-Secretary-General, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing State, Rabab Fatima, commended the meeting for successfully articulating key priorities to inform the next Programme of Action in the Gaborone Outcome Document. She said LLDCs had made notable progress in airports, sea ports and railways but that more progress was needed in trade facilitation, structural economic transformation, export diversification and in improving connectivity.
LLDCs have faced the challenges of adverse impacts of climate change, multiple and overlapping of impacts of COVID 19, external debt and geopolitical tensions, Ms. Fatima noted.
“The combined impacts of these challenges have severely affected the progress on the implementation of the VPoA, 2030 Agenda and Africa’s own Agenda 2063,” said Ms. Fatima, highlighting that more than ever before it was imperative to develop “strategies and institution capacities within the LLDCs supported by their development partners to tackle these overlapping crises and embark on a resilience pathway to recovery and sustainable development.”
Nigeria Air: Anti-graft Group, SELIP Demands Sirika’s Arrest Over Fraud, Petitions EFCC
A Nigeria-based anti-corruption group, SecureWorld and Liberty Initiative for Peace, SELIP, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest and probe the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, for allegedly using the establishment of a national carrier, Nigeria Air, to perpetrate fraud and commit economic sabotage.
The petition, which was addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was signed by the Executive Director of SELIP, Comrade Mark Adebayo, requesting the anti-graft agency to investigate the outgoing minister for undertaking ventures designed to benefit a few individuals and lead to the eventual collapse of aviation, a critical sector of the Nigerian economy.
The group noted with dismay the unveiling of an aircraft on Friday in Abuja purportedly belonging to Nigeria Air, despite an existing court order restraining the minister from taking any action regarding the project.
The group alleged that in a desperate bid to hoodwink President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and the generality of Nigerians, the minister imported a re-painted aircraft owned by Ethiopian Airlines and passed it off as the maiden flight belonging to Nigeria Air.
The civil society group averred that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos headed by Justice A.L Allagoa, in a suit filed by the Airline Operators of Nigeria, had granted three separate orders of injunctions, restraining the Federal Government from taking any step about the Nigeria Air project ‘but the minister in a desperate bid to cover up the monumental fraud in the deal elected to flagrantly disobeyed an order of a court of competent jurisdiction and produced a sham called unveiling of Nigeria Air flight last Friday.’
“We are compelled to bring to your attention that the aircraft purportedly unveiled on Friday, May 26, 2023, by Minister Sirika, as the first flight of the national carrier, Nigeria Air, is still in active service of Ethiopia Airlines. We can confirm that the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 with the registration number ET-APL, has since left the country this weekend for Turkey according to a check on the flight radar; it only transited Nigeria for the farce of a show put up by the minister. The flight landing in the country with Ethiopia Airlines’ registration number means Nigeria Air has no Air Operator Certificate. No aircraft can be registered in Nigeria without the carrier having an AOC which means that the aircraft does not belong to Nigeria Air either as leased or owned equipment. So, Sirika should not be allowed to fool Nigerians,” the group said in the petition.
The group urged the anti-graft agency to make Sirika account for a whopping N15.9 billion that has been committed so far to the project by the federal government, alleging that the desperation by the minister is geared towards covering up the misappropriation of funds and monumental fraud.
“The unveiling was a desperate attempt to justify the N15.9 billion appropriated by the federal government to Nigeria Air since 2016. The phantom project has continued to lick up budgetary provisions; N1.3 billion was allotted to it in the 2023 budget with an additional N700 million as ‘working capital’ and N200 million as consultancy fee; so, the minister must not be allowed to hoodwink Nigerians with the ‘importation of a rented aircraft into the country and pass it off as a step to the commencement of the operation of the airline days to his exit from office. This act of fraud and economic terrorism must not be allowed to go unpunished,” the petition read.
Sirika claimed that Nigeria Air Limited is a private sector-led airline, with only five per cent of the company owned by the Nigerian government. The minister also added that a consortium of entrepreneurs in Nigeria owns 46 percent while investors in Ethiopian Airlines retain 49 percent of the shares.
However, SELIP in the petition, countered the minister saying the conception and implementation of the national carrier project were shrouded in ambiguity and designed to defraud the people of Nigeria by a few Nigerians in connivance with their international collaborators.
“There’s no agreement with the stakeholders in Nigeria, so on what basis has a painted plane be brought in to deceive Nigerians? The lack of transparency on funding and alleged zero consideration for local players and national interest is frightening as the proposed Shareholders’ Agreement which is yet to be signed the, reserves all Executive Directors positions for the Ethiopians with Nigerians as deputies,” the group said.
SELIP said Sirika must be compelled to explain why in the proposed Shareholder Agreement, Ethiopian Airlines will also collect millions of dollars yearly as management fees despite having 49% shares and why the East African company will attract such grace by using just their own planes as contributions to the project.
The group also charged the EFCC to probe the 3% of the total shares allocated to Fairfax Ltd which was appointed as the Transaction Adviser to the project.
SELIP appealed to the anti-graft agency to probe the deal that granted Fairfax Nigeria Limited the shares without paying a dime.
“This company will also be paid millions of dollars monthly and will be in charge of procurement for Nigeria Air. There is overwhelming evidence that Sirika has a substantial interest in Fairfax Nigeria Limited albeit by proxies, and one of the most curious things is why a firm incorporated in March 2021 without robust experience in the aviation industry will be factored into such a monumental project. Please, use your good office to probe the perpetration of conflict of interest and grand fraud against the Nigerian people so that sanity will be restored in that sector and cause a rebound in the confidence of investors in the industry,” the group said.
SELIP said the implementation of the project is capable of undermining the efforts of the incoming Bola Tinubu administration and the EFCC must make the promoters of the phantom deal face the full length of the law.
“Being a high flight risk after May 29th, 2023, we demand the immediate arrest of Minister Hadi Sirika before he flees the country. We urge your Commission to keep perfect vigilance on Minister Sirika and not allow him to escape from these shores but be made to answer for his massive corruption that is bound to harm the critical sector of Nigeria’s Aviation Industry.
“This scam scheme can only be compared to the daring scam by a Nigerian who sold a phantom airport to some Brazilians years ago. We are sure the Commission has an institutional memory of that obnoxious financial crime that caused Nigeria international embarrassment. The current scam is no less obnoxious.
“We have confidence that the EFCC will do justice and timely, too, to get to the bottom of this scam and save Nigeria’s Aviation Industry from the impending doom,” the petition read.
Signed
Comrade Mark Adebayo
Executive Director, SELIP
Comrade Mark Adebayo
My government won’t discriminate against anyone – Governor Otu
By Michael Jegede
….. Ndoma-Egba calls for collaborative efforts of Cross Riverians
The newly inaugurated Governor of Cross River State, Governor Bassey Edet Otu has said that there won’t be any form of discrimination against anyone or group as he takes over the running of the affairs of the state from the immediate past governor, Prof. Ben Ayade.
Otu, popularly known as ‘Sweet Prince’, made the remark on Monday in his inaugural speech after taking the oath of office as the new governor of Cross River State.
The oath of office was administered by the Chief Judge (CJ) of the state, Hon Justice Akon Bassey Ikpeme at the UJ Esuene stadium, Calabar where the inauguration/swearing-in ceremony was held.
According to the new Cross River helmsman, “This is the Government of Cross Riverians by Cross Riverians for all Cross Riverians and non-Cross Riverians in our land. This government will bear no insignia of discrimination in belief, origin or gender. Women and men, young and old, educated and non-educated would be carried along and treated as equal before the law. I reiterate that I joined politics to provide service to humanity and nothing more.
“I have spent my gifting opportunities in the legislature and my creative convictions in advancing the course of humanity and I intend to leverage on those templates in providing the best governance to the people of Cross River State.”
Noting that he was not oblivious of the high expectations of the people, he said: “Fellow Cross Riverians, it is not lost on us the enormous work that must be done and the weight of built-up expectations. Therefore, we shall manage time effectively to rewriting the trajectory of our corporate aspirations in line with our collective dreams in divine destiny.
“We are ready to hit the ground running from today. Already we have designed and reviewed our strategic road map to guide our actions as we kick off.
“However, owing to the premium we attach to planning and fiscal discipline we have collaborated with credible international development institutions in formulating a medium term sustainable development plan in line with Cross River State 30-year development strategy in order to set the path for desired outcomes for our state.”
The new governor who is determined to work tirelessly for the progress of Cross River declared that there would be no room for criminals in the state, disclosing that “Within our People-First agenda, safety, peaceful co-existence and security of lives and properties are major pillars for my administration. For the few who take pride in criminality, there shall be no hiding place and only two options are on the table: turn a new leaf within our upcoming amnesty window or vacate Cross River State without delay. Our administration shall have zero tolerance for criminality in whatever form or shade.”
In his welcome address at the swearing-in ceremony, the inauguration committee chairman, Distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, said: “Allow me to express my heartfelt congratulations to our newly elected governor. Your journey to this position has been a testament to your dedication, hard work, and the trust that the people have placed in you. Your election is a reflection of the aspirations and hopes of our citizens for a better and more prosperous state.
“As we gather here today, we acknowledge the tremendous responsibility that rests upon the shoulders of our new governor. Your tenure will be marked by challenges and opportunities, and the decisions you make will shape the lives of millions of people. However, I have every confidence that you possess the qualities of leadership, wisdom, and integrity necessary to navigate these waters and lead our state towards progress.”
Ndoma-Egba, a former Senate Leader and ex-Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) added that “As we (Cross Riverians) embark on this new journey together, let us remember that progress is not achieved in isolation. It requires the collaborative efforts of government, private sectors, civil society, and every citizen. Let us foster an environment of cooperation, where partnerships are forged, and ideas are exchanged for the betterment of our state.”
The immediate past governor, Ayade, in his farewell speech, thanked the people of Cross River for the opportunity given him to govern the state for eight years, maintaining that he did his best to transform the state.
It has been celebration galore in Cross River since Governor Otu was inaugurated as the people believe that the ex-parliamentarian would offer them good governance and deliver the dividends of democracy to their doorsteps.
PRESS RELEASE
JUBILATION IN ALAUSA AS WORKERS RECEIVE SANWO-OLU, HAMZAT BACK TO WORK
- Governor, Deputy tour Govt ministries, interact with staff on policy direction
Day after their inauguration, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, resumed work on Tuesday, rededicating themselves to serving Lagosians as they launched into their second term.
Their first duty call was a joint visit to the State secretariat in Alausa, where they were received by an ecstatic crowd of government workers. The Governor and his deputy had unrestricted interactions with staff across cadres in the State’s workforce with the aim to elevate their morale and incorporate them into the new policy implementation framework.
Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, and Body of Permanent Secretaries led the way, as the Governor and his deputy toured key ministries relevant to implementation of the administration’s development agenda.
The ministries are currently being administered by Permanent Secretaries and senior civil servants, pending the constitution of the State Executive Council by the Governor in the coming weeks.
Sanwo-Olu’s first port of call was the Civil Service Commission, which is statutorily responsible for resource mobilisation and management in the State’s civil service. During his interaction with the management staff, the Governor said the Commission was an important office that must continue to run because of its strategic importance to the implementation of his Government’s policies and vision.
Engaging management staff of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Sanwo-Olu said economic planning was one of the “strong tools” used to measure how well the State Government had been performing and delivering on its development agenda.
He said: “After the inauguration ceremony, it behoves on us to go back to work immediately to show Lagosians that we are ready for the job they have mandated us to do on their behalf. We resumed work today (Tuesday) and we have gone round several ministries in the civil service led by the Head of Service and the body of Permanent Secretaries.
“This objective is to encourage the staff, have an on-the-spot assessment of the working environment and have conversation around how to ensure every staff is on board as we hit the ground running again. We are happy to have resumed work and we are excited that the entire public service is ready to continue to serve the people.”
Sanwo-Olu also had a tour of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, and Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, which are relevant offices that will be responsible for the implementation of additional development pillars in the Government’s “THEMES Plus”programme.
The Governor, during his inauguration address on Monday, announced Social Inclusion, Youth and Gender Equality as additional priorities in his governing agenda.
Sanwo-Olu said the new priorities would deepen his administration’s resolve to leave no one behind in key activities of the State. He added that the additional pillars were deliberately not subjugated under existing programmes because of the need to have definitive strategic planning for each of them.
He said: “As we now have additional pillars in our governing agenda, we have to fully integrate the staff into the new policy direction and see how well we have to drive these new pillars. It is not out of place that we visited the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget and other strategic ministries, because it fits into our game plan for the next four years.”
The Governor expressed satisfaction on what he described as “articulate feedback” from the civil servants, just as he was elated about a conducive work environment in most of the offices visited.
On what civil servants should expect in his second term, the Governor said: “It is additional reforms and citizen-driven policies that will touch the lives of the people. They should know where they need to work with us on each of those policies. They must ensure that each time members of the public walk into the secretariat for services, they leave in assurance that we have served them in the best way.”
After the secretariat tour, Sanwo-Olu and his deputy went into a closed door meeting with the Head of Service and Permanent Secretaries.
Gboyega Akosile
Media Adviser to the Governor
30th May, 2023
PRESS STATEMENT
SPN BLAMES TINUBU’S RECKLESS PRONOUNCEMENT ON SUBSIDY REMOVAL FOR THE SUDDEN RETURN OF HIKE IN PETROL PRICE AND LONG QUEUE
NO TO HIKE IN PETROL PRICE AND NO TO DEVALUATION OF THE NAIRA!
NLC, TUC AND PRO-MASSES ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BEGIN MASS MOBILISATION TO RESIST ALL ANTI-PEOPLE POLICIES
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023 used his inaugural speech to leave nobody in doubt of his resolve to unleash anti-poor capitalist attacks on working people and the poor in the name of economic reforms. Just like during the campaign, President Bola Tinubu used his inaugural speech to reiterate his readiness to remove fuel subsidy and further devalue Naira under the guise of a unified foreign exchange rate. These two anti-people policies (petrol price increase and devaluation of the Naira) will have further devastating consequences for already poor living standards of working people. Besides, the cost of production and service will go up astronomically while many small and medium businesses will be affected by its attendant consequence of higher inflation and job losses.
A few hours after the inaugural speech, long queues returned to petrol stations and the price of petrol went up from N200 to between N300 to N600 per litre. Many working people were stranded at bus stops this morning (May 30, 2023) because there were not enough buses and cabs on the road to convey people and the transport cost suddenly went up. If this suffering can be unleashed within 24 hours of Tinubu’s regime, one would better imagine what is to be expected in the next 4 years.
Firstly, the whole subsidy arrangement is shrouded in corruption and secrecy and as such Nigerians (workers and the poor) cannot independently verify the actual subsidy. Secondly, allowing the oil marketers the free will to determine petrol prices will automatically increase the price of petrol similar to the price of diesel and kerosene that is currently selling for N670 and N870 per litre respectively. Already, inflation is so high and 40 percent of Nigerians live in extreme poverty.
Tinubu-led regime stated that the savings from subsidy removal or increment in the price of petrol will be invested in infrastructure, healthcare, education and to mitigate the hardship created. This is a lie. The ordinary people will not derive any meaningful benefit from the removal of petrol subsidy. The savings from the removal of subsidies on diesel and kerosene were never invested to mitigate the hardship created nor was there any benefit from that accrued to working people. The desperation to increase petrol price is linked to the desire to guarantee huge profits for Dangote and the oil marketers.
Tinubu also said that his administration will unify the exchange rate of Naira, which means allowing the market force (demand and supply) to determine the exchange rate, another term for devaluation of currency. Again, allowing the private speculators to determine the exchange rate will most likely spiral higher exchange rate than the black market rate which is currently at about N770 to a dollar. As a neo-colonial backward economy that lacks the productive capacity to compete on a global stage and largely depends on imported items and consumables, the landing cost of most products will go up and will further drive up inflation and cost of living.
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) is opposed to a hike in petrol price as a consequence of subsidy removal and devaluation of Naira. We reiterate our age-long opposition to these policies because they will further impoverish the working people, worsen the cost of living crisis and adversely affect small and medium scale businesses including triggering job losses etc. Therefore, SPN rejects an economy that is run mainly to meet the voracious profit interest of the big private sector players at the expense of the vast majority of working masses. Neo-liberal policies (privatization, deregulation, liberalization etc.,) alongside other capitalist policies are responsible for the growing poverty, rising cost of living, mass joblessness, poor living and working conditions, and continuation of these anti-people policies will spell more doom for the working masses. We advocate resuscitation of all 4 public refineries and also build new ones. The only way out is to struggle for a socialist society and implementation of socialist programme that plans production and services to meet the needs of the working masses and poor. This includes nationalization programme that puts the major companies under the democratic control of the workers and community people.
We call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and pro-masses organisations to begin mobilization as a means to resist these anti-people policies. The trade union leadership and pro-masses organizations should be prepared to mobilize for general strikes and mass protests as a way to defeat these anti-poor policies.
SIGNED:
Abiodun Bamigboye Chinedu Bosah
Acting National Chairperson National Secretary
PDP BOARD OF TRUSTEES EULOGIES HIGH CHIEF RAYMOND ANTHONY ALEOGHO DOKPESI
“Those we love never truly leave us, there are things that death cannot touch.”
These words from Jack Thorne describe the current feeling of the entire Board of Trustees of the PDP as we remember our dear friend and brother. “High Chief” as he was fondly referred to was passionate about Nigeria. He was an advocate of good governance, which was reflected by his constant appraisal of policies which favoured citizens and open criticism of those that adversely affected the masses.
Regardless of his social status, High Chief was the leader of the South-south People Assembly (SSPA) as a result of his deep-rooted interest for the people of his geopolitical zone.
An avid businessman, media mogul, maritime engineer, and philanthropist, High Chief was a lot of things to a lot of people.
Whereas our brother and friend has hearkened to nature’s call to the great beyond, he has left lasting legacies that death cannot touch. Forever and always in our hearts we reflect on these legacies while we mourn your passing.
We pray God grant High Chief’s immediate family, the good people of Edo state, Nigerians and his friends all over the world the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss.
May his death bring peace, love, harmony and unity to our great Nation.
H.E. Sen Adolphus Wabara, (Ph.D)
Acting Chairman
Peoples Democratic Party
Board of Trustees
