After months away, I’m back to writing this newsletter on Nigerian politics, economics and culture. My goal is to help you understand what’s happening across the country in the shortest time possible. What a lofty goal!
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To today’s business:
Nigeria’s fuel frustrations
Since the past week, many Lagos residents have struggled to buy petrol to fuel their cars and generators. Long queues at filling stations have become commonplace and, where available, the product is sold at exorbitant prices, much higher than the government approved price.
What was the cause this time? The NNPC, the nation’s oil firm, said the scarcity was “due to ongoing road infrastructure projects around Apapa and access road challenges in some parts of Lagos depots.”
Meanwhile, oil marketers say private depots continue to hike prices, making it impossible to sell to the final consumer at the government approved price.
“As of today, we are buying at N212 from the private depot in Lagos and we need to transport it to Ibadan or Ilorin,” Joseph Oyewale-Akanni, an oil marketing executive, told the Vanguard.
The real problem, of course, is that the cost of importing petrol has risen due to factors like inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Nigeria’s foreign currency challenges. But the government wants to keep prices low, perhaps due to the general elections in February. Still, someone has to pay the difference between the real cost and political one.
This year alone, Nigeria has paid over N2 trillion to subsidise petrol, a scheme riddled with corruption. In its 2023 budget, the Buhari administration has allocated N3.6 trillion to fund fuel subsidy for six months. But all that money appears not to be enough to keep prices where the government wants.
Consequence: Some parents can now only afford to get their children to school twice a week due to fuel scarcity.
Related: A fight seems to be brewing between Bauchi and Gombe state over the ownership of the Kolmani Oil and Gas field launched by President Buhari last month.
Tinubu still on the run
Three major presidential candidates attended a townhall meeting organised by Arise News and its partners on Sunday evening. But conspicuously missing from the line-up was the APC candidate and apparent favourite, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu, who is in London and scheduled to speak at Chatham House today, has made it clear he is not comfortable speaking at public events where his team cannot control the narrative. He has hosted his own townhalls and speaks at APC campaign rallies. But compared to the other leading candidates, Tinubu has left much of his direct public engagement to media handlers such as Festus Keyamo.
“Our candidate will not be making selective appearances on some networks, whilst ignoring others,” Keyamo said in Tinubu’s defence last month.
Tinubu’s evasiveness comes amid increased scrutiny on his involvement in a US drug trafficking investigation in the 1990s, a controversy about his true age and certificates, and the state of his health.
Visa denial: To debunk reports that Tinubu was denied entry into the US, Keyamo shared a photo of a visa stamp for his candidate.
INEC suffers another attack
On Saturday, another INEC office was vandalised and partially set ablaze, this time in Imo state. The perpetrators have not been found.
This is the fourth attack on INEC offices in three weeks following similar incidents in Ogun, Osun and Ebonyi states.
A security analyst, Kabir Ahmed, said INEC and security agencies must do more to protect election facilities.
Infographic: Attacks on election facilities have become a worrying trend in Nigeria. Between 2019 and 2021, INEC recorded 41 attacks on its facilities in 14 states across the federation.
What else is happening?
Transport: The Abuja-Kaduna train operation is expected to resume today several months after a train was attacked and over 50 passengers were kidnapped. The police say all hands are on deck to ensure the security of lives and property along the route.
Naira redesign: Senior lawyer Femi Falana said the currency redesign by the Buhari administration may be declared illegal in a court because it had no legislative backing. Old naira notes are scheduled to expire on January 31.
Abidemi Rufai: On Saturday, the Washington Post published a riveting story of how the ex-Ogun State Commissioner defrauded American taxpayers by stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in coronavirus relief benefits. The Ogun state government sought to distance itself from Rufai.
Katsina state: At least 19 worshippers were abducted by terrorists in a mosque at Maigamji community on Saturday around 7:40 pm. The police on Sunday said six victims have been rescued.
Benue state: Gunmen have kidnapped the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ekpe Ogbu.
Yakubu Dogara: The PDP has admitted the ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives into its Presidential Campaign Council. Mr Dogara is an APC member dissatisfied with his party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Olusegun Obasanjo: The former President reportedly met with some PDP bigwigs at his residence in Abeokuta on Sunday.
And that’s it for today. See you again tomorrow.
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