A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has sentenced Walter Wagbatsoma and Adaoha Ugo-Nnadi to 10 years in prison for fuel subsidy fraud.
The judge said the sentence would start to count from January 13, 2016.
She also ordered restitution for Ontario Oil and Gas, and asked the company to refund N754 million being the amount it defrauded the Nigerian government.
Details later.
Source: Premium Times
Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court on Wednesday adjourned the sentencing of Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo-Nnadi, and Ontario Oil and Gas till January 26.
The sentencing was initially rescheduled to last Monday after Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi fainted in the dock when the judge who had pronounced their conviction was about to pronounce their sentence.
On Monday, Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi’s lawyer said she was “in a very precarious” health condition at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
In her ruling, the judge said the medical reports from Havana Specialist Hospital and LUTH, where the convict had been taken to, should be accompanied by an affidavit to be sworn to by the medical director and “attending doctor” respectively within 24 hours.
“The commissioner of police in Lagos is hereby directed to keep the second defendant under watch at whichever hospital she is taken to,” Mrs. Okunnu had said.
E.D Onyeke, counsel to the Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi, told the judge on Monday that they had submitted the medical reports and sworn affidavits from the doctors.
He urged the court to give a new date that would enable the doctors have adequate time for his client’s treatment.
“What is not in doubt is that there’s a medical report that says she’s not well,” Mr. Onyeke said.
The convicts were found guilty on eight counts of fuel subsidy fraud last Friday but Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi, the managing director of Ontario Oil and Gas, fainted in the dock just before her sentencing forcing the judge to adjourn.
A fuel subsidy suspect, Opeyemi Ajuyah, is dead, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
Details of her death is still sketchy.
Mrs. Ajuyah is facing an eight-count amended charge alongside Abdullahi, son of late prominent businessman, Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, and Olanrewaju Olalusi before an Ikeja High Court over allegation of N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud.
They were charged alongside their companies, Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The sentencing of Adaoha Ugo-Nnadi, who was convicted for fuel subsidy fraud last Friday, has been adjourned till January 18.
Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi, who was convicted alongside Walter Wagbatsoma and their company, Ontario Oil and Gas, fainted on Friday while the judge was about to read her sentence.
She was subsequently rushed to hospital.
Details later…
Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court on Monday adjourned the sentencing of Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo-Nnadi, and Ontario Oil and Gas till January 18 after Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi was reported to be “in very precarious” health condition.
The convicts were found guilty on eight counts of fuel subsidy fraud last Friday; but Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi, the managing director of Ontario Oil and Gas, fainted in the dock just before her sentencing forcing the judge to adjourn.
Mr. Wagbatsoma is still in the UK where he is under house arrest for alleged money laundering.
Monday’s proceedings began with Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, informing the defence counsel for the umpteenth time that his clients are no longer to be referred as defendants but convicts.
“Prison officials accompanied them on Friday, first of all she was taken to Havana Specialist Hospital, her private hospital, where she was put on life support,” Mr. Kadiri said.
“On Saturday, she was referred to LUTH. Prison officers have been mounting beats there with her in her ward.”
Mr. Kadiri presented a medical report from Havana Specialist Hospital before informing the judge that a second one – an interim report” from LUTH “is on the way.”
In his response, Mr. Jacobs said the prison and EFCC officials had been uncomfortable when the convict was taken to a private hospital because it was difficult to station officers there.
“But according to the information I got, she was doing very well,” said Mr. Jacobs, a senior advocate of Nigeria.
“Our men from the EFCC were also there to watch on her from Friday to Saturday. I was informed that her doctor was going to discharge her but on request she was transferred to LUTH.”
Mr. Jacobs, however, did not mention who gave the request for the transfer.
The prosecution counsel also asked the judge to treat the medical report presented by the defence lawyer “with great caution” because it was a ploy for Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi to avoid going to prison.
“I will be urging my Lord to make an order for an independent assessment of the convict,” Mr. Jacobs said, adding that the judge should pronounce the sentence on Ontario Oil and Gas.
But Mrs. Okunnu said there has not been a precedent, where a convict was hospitalised just before sentencing.
On sentencing the convicts’ company, the judge said she would “rather err on the side” of caution because Mrs. Ugo-Nnadi had been representing Ontario Oil and Gas.
In her ruling, the judge said the medical reports from both Havana Specialist Hospital and LUTH should be accompanied by an affidavit to be sworn by the medical director and “attending doctor” respectively within 24 hours.
“The commissioner of police in Lagos is hereby directed to keep the second defendant under watch at whichever hospital she is taken to,” Mrs. Okunnu said.
“The matter is adjourned till Wednesday, January 18, for further proceedings and sentencing.”
The Court of Appeal in Lagos, Thursday, upheld the judgment of a Lagos High Court sentencing a former Divisional Police Officer to 10 years imprisonment for the killing of one Ademola Aderinto during the January 9, 2012 protest against fuel subsidy removal in Lagos.
Segun Fabunmi, who served as the DPO of Pen Cinema Police Station in Agege, was found guilty of manslaughter by Justice Olabisi Akinlade of the Igbosere Division of the Lagos High Court.
The judge also convicted Mr. Fabunmi, who was dismissed as a Chief Superintendent of Police, guilty of shooting three other persons – Alimi Abubakar, Egbujor Samuel and Chizorba Odoh, during the protest, “thereby causing them grievous bodily harm.”
The trial of the former police officer, who joined the Force in 1984, began in 2013 at the high court where he was arraigned by the Lagos State Government on a seven-count charge bordering on murder, attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm.
The trial began one year after Mr. Aderinto, 27, was buried at the Yaba cemetery amidst tears from his family and friends.
After his conviction by the high court, Mr. Fabunmi filed a notice at the Appeal Court in Lagos to challenge the judgment of the lower Court, and urged that it should upturned.
Mr. Fabunmi’s counsel, C.J Jiakponna, had specifically urged the court to allow the appeal and acquit the appellant.
On the other hand, the Lagos State Government represented by the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, urged the court to affirm the decision of the lower court and dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.
After considering the arguments canvassed by the counsel to the appellant (Fabunmi) and respondent (state government), the Appeal Court held that the issue of the identity of the deceased raised by the appellant was not material since it was not in doubt that the appellant shot the deceased.
The court specifically punctured the argument of the appellant saying that the defence of accident and self-defence would not avail the appellant because “these defences were mutually exclusive.”
“The appellant, being a seasoned police officer, could have reasoned to use rubber bullet, teargas etc on the mob rather than resorting to lethal weapon (AK 47),” the appellate court held, adding that the appeal lacked merit.
“The use of AK 47, a lethal weapon, convinced the lower court that the appellant had intention to cause grievous bodily harm and the defence of accident could not avail the appellant since there was clear evidence that he shot at the deceased and other persons.”
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the fuel subsidy removal has removed a burden of not less than N15.4 billion monthly from the Federal Government.
Mr. Osinbajo said this in Abuja on Thursday at the 2016 presentation of scorecard of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Agreements Signing ceremony for Joint Venture Cash Calls (JVC) exit.
Represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Mr. Osinbajo said that $15 billion would be injected into the sector.
”I am pleased to be the special guest of honour at the agreements signing ceremony for Joint Venture Cash Call exit and the announcement of $15 billion investments to be done in the sector.
”The oil and gas sector remains very critical to the stability and growth of our economy as it accounts for about 90 per cent of earnings.
”Amongst others, the downstream sector has been deregulated with the elimination of petroleum subsidy.
”This policy has removed from government, a burden of not less than N15.4 billion monthly,” he said.
The vice-president said that government had taken steps to raise the domestic refining capacity for petroleum products by repairing the existing refineries.
”We have also licensed modular refineries and support the development of private refineries one of which is a 650,000 barrel per day capacity,” he said.
According to him, one of the refineries is nearing completion, adding that when completed, it will restore “our pipeline to facilitate crude and products transportation.”
He said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved new measures aimed at eliminating the burden of JVC and easing future payments in the upstream sector.
Mr Osinbajo commended the World Bank on the global initiative to secure the environment by ending and commercialising gas flares.
”It will boost the discharge of international obligations by Nigeria on climate change and contribute to our national power generation capacity”.
He urged other ministries to come up with score cards of their performances in the last year.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, said that when he took over the leadership of the ministry, oil sector was losing N1.2 trillion every year and fuel scarcity was common.
”Today, we have a situation where refined petroleum consumption has gone down from an all-time high of 40 million litres a day to about 28 million litres a day.
”On cash call, the issue was how long the upstream was going to continue to bleed as investments were drying up and activities grinding to a halt.
”For the first time in 2017, you are going to see the Ministry driving an effort with the Department of Petroleum Resources to find leakage areas, essential to cover the gap in the 2017 budget.
”In the Niger Delta, we have brought the all-time low production of 1.3 million barrels per day (mbpd) to 1.8mbpd but for some minor incidents it would be closer to 2.1mbpd or 2.2mbpd.
”We set a zero militancy target in 2017 and we want anything that needs to be done should be done,’’ he said.
On Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, he said that he was thrust into the chairmanship of the organisation immediately he was appointed.
He added that he said he had to convince four countries to serve as engine rooms of finding solutions and not bringing the national problems to OPEC.
In her address of welcome, DJamila Shua’ra, said that ”the year started with refineries producing below capacity, high demand for petroleum products and insufficient supplies at depots, forex shortages.
”However, President Muhammadu Buhari believed in our team and our collective ability to find solutions.
”Although, it is not Uhuru yet, there are many more rivers to cross. As we speak, aviation fuel remains a challenge.
”We are yet to pick maximum capacity in our refineries and there is need for more investors to fund massive infrastructural development in the sector”.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that awards were presented to an outstanding staff each from subsidiaries of the ministry.
There are strong indications that the Federal Government would start paying N163m daily as fuel subsidy to oil marketers because of the slight increase in crude prices. A survey of markets around the world showed that oil prices, including Nigeria’s Bonny Light 1have increased from about $29 to $40 per barrel, meaning additional cost to refining companies, which pass the high cost to traders. Consequently, Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, which had discouraged government from paying subsidies because of prolonged era of very low crude prices, has advised it to start payment. The agency believed it has become necessary for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to commence subsidy payment from this month. In its April, 2016 template posted over the weekend, the agency put the subsidy at N4.09 per liter.
This amounted to N163m daily as the nation’s estimated daily demand for fuel hovered at 40 million liters. PPPRA puts the nation’s landing cost for fuel, including cost and freight, traders margin, lightering expenses, NPA, NIMASA, jetty/depot thru charge and storage charge at N75.79 per liter. The agency put total sub margins, including administrative charge, marine transport average, bridging fund and margins at N14.30 per liter. It puts total cost, including highway maintenance, government tax, import tax, fuel tax and subtotal taxes at N90.09 per liter. PPPRA also puts the official ex-depot, ex-depot and ex-coastal prices at N71.70, N76.00 and N71.19 and arrived at an under recovery of N4.09 per liter. Executive Secretary, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Olawore said in a telephone interview yesterday that the subsidy is justified because of the slight increase in oil prices. He said the subsidy would enable marketers to recover cost involved in the process of importing fuel into the country. It was learnt that government would need to pay more as subsidy, should crude oil prices continue to surge in the global market. However, there was improvement in fuel supply because of the involvement of many stakeholders over the weekend. A visit to Apapa in Lagos showed that many marketers were involved in lifting of fuel to many destinations. The involvement followed an agreement signed with tank seven farm owners for the storage and lifting of imported fuel few days ago.
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http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/fg-to-pay-oil-marketers-n163m-fuel-subsidy-daily/
The Federal Government said it has not reversed its decision to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called petrol more so when there is no appropriation for subsidy in the 2016 budget.
The Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in a statement last night said stated that contrary to media reports, what still exists is Price Modulation Policy, through which it considers and reviews pump price of PMS quarterly.
“The Agency also wishes to assure Nigerians that the funds from Over-Recovery in the first quarter (Q1) shall be duly utilized for whatever noticeable imbalance in April 2016 in line with the Price Modulation Principle.” The statement signed by Sotonye E. Iyoyo Acting Executive Secretary of the PPPRA said.
While appreciating the patience of Nigerians, the PPPRA reiterated its commitment to ensuring seamless supply and distribution of petroleum products in the Country.
Credit: dailytrust
Nigeria, as at yesterday, is currently saving N647.2 million daily from the suspension of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol. Particularly, at the current price of N86.50 per litre in petrol stations across the country, the country is making an extra N16.18 per litre.
The Federal Government had stated that this extra savings is kept in an escrow account to serve as a cushion in case of eventuality, such as if the price of crude oil rebounds, leading to an increase in the selling price of PMS. The saving is partly due to the continuous decline in the price of crude oil in the international market, which dragged the open market price of petrol to N70.32 per litre. The amount the country is saving is based on a 40 million litres average daily consumption of PMS by Nigerians as declared by the Federal Government. Since the announcement and commencement of the price modulation regime by the Federal Government, the open market of PMS had fluctuated between N4 and N12 per litre before rising to its current level. Data obtained, yesterday, from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, in its pricing template for PMS for February 9, 2016, revealed that at a retail price of N86.50 per litre as approved by the Federal Government, the country is saving N16.18 per litre of the product. The PPPRA put the landing cost of the product at N56.02 per litre, composed of Cost plus Freight — N51.19 per litre; Lightering Expenses — N2.02; NPA Financing — N0.15, Jetty Throughput Charge — N0.60 and Storage Charge — N2.00 per litre.
Credit: Vanguard
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the Federal Government, which relies on crude oil for about two-thirds of its revenue, is seeing a silver lining to the plunge in crude prices because it will no longer have to subsidise fuel.
“Lower oil prices also mean there is some advantage,” Osinbajo said in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.
The decline “means that we are not paying any subsidies, which frees up something in the order of about $5bn (about N985bn),” Bloomberg quoted the vice president as saying.
Brent oil in London has dropped more than 60 per cent to below $28 a barrel since November 2014, as shale production from the United States increased and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries refrained from cutting output in the face of a global oversupply in an effort to defend market share.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, will still face challenges in financing its budget deficit and aims to increase Value Added Tax and customs duty collection to help plug the gap, Osinbajo said.
“We think with adequate governance around budget management and around expenditure management, we can do quite a bit. If we are able to do those things, we might be able to come away with under $30 a barrel oil,” he explained.
Credit: Punch
Nigerian workers have vowed to vehemently resist any move by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to deregulate operations of the downstream sector of the country’s petroleum industry and remove fuel subsidy through the back door.
The workers’ umbrella body, the Nigeria Labour Congress, said on Tuesday that any attempt by government to adjust the fuel price in the country without recourse to the institution legally authorized to do so would be considered unlawful.
The NLC General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, said government officials and some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress have in the past few weeks made discordant tunes about the future of petroleum products prices and the management of the subsidy scheme in the country.
The NLC said the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, had initially announced that come next year the price of petrol would revert to ?97 per litre, while fuel subsidy would be phased out.
However, Mr. Ozo-Eson noted that two days later the Minister had denied the report, claiming that what he said was that fuel price would operate within a band of ?87 and ?97, which he said did not mean subsidy removal.
“The same minister now says that the price of petrol will now be ?85 in January, signifying the deregulation of the sector,” Mr. Ozo-Eson said.
“These vacillations and flip flops are, in our view, designed to confuse Nigerians and pave the way for deregulation of petrol prices through the back door.”
Credit: PremiumTimes
Following increased pressure on revenue and the expenditure profile, the Federal Government has finally yielded to domestic and international pressures to remove fuel subsidy.
This is coming as crude oil prices hit a seven-year low with global reference crude, West Texas Intermediate and Brent trading yesterday at $34.7 and $36.7 per barrel respectively, effectively disrupting Nigeria’s $38 per barrel benchmark for 2016 budget.
The crash has resulted into about N1.45 trillion shortfall in the value of the projected oil output in the international market based on production target increased in the 2016 plan to 2.2 million barrel per day (mbpd), up from actual 1.9 mbpd in 2015.
On official exchange rate of N198/ $1 upon which the revenue projection was based, the value of the total budgeted oil output is $35.14 billion or N6.95 trillion but with the latest price development, the output would now yield $27.8 billion or N5.5 trillion
Credit: Vanguard
The World Bank has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to act now if he is seriously considering the removal of fuel subsidy.
The World Bank’s Lead Economist, John Litwack, said Tuesday the best time to take such decision is now.
While the Buhari administration has hinted at its intention to remove fuel subsidy, the debate is still on in the country with many Nigerians, including the organised labour, rejecting the plan.
The issue was discussed Monday at the Executive Council of the Federation meeting.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, while unveiling the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the government’s N6 trillion budget proposal for 2016, said the government was seriously weighing the options between removing or retaining fuel subsidy next year.
The government’s body language appears to favour the former, rather than the latter.
Mr. Litwack said at the launch of the new edition of Nigeria Economic Report that if the government really meant to take a decision on the issue of fuel subsidy removal, the best time to act would be now that global crude oil price was at its lowest level.
Despite last Friday’s attempt by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, during its 168th conference to maintain its production quota so as to stabilize the crude oil market, the price of the commodity slumped further to $37.89 per barrel on Monday from $38.09 on Friday.
While presenting the economic outlook of the global economy and the crude oil market, Mr. Litwack said the Bank foresaw continuous decline in global crude oil price.
He said now is the best time for the government to scrap the subsidy, as doing so would not push retail pump price beyond an average of N100 per litre, or generate the kind pressure that would negatively impact on the people beyond what they are currently facing.
Credit: PremiumTimes
An oil magnate, Chief Tony Onukeme, has advised the Federal Government to remove all forms of subsidy in petroleum products.
Onukeme, who made the call in an interview in Awka on Friday, said the subsidy policy had contributed greatly to the underdevelopment of the nation’s oil sector and had led to the starvation of other sectors of the economy of the resources required for growth.
“The survival of Nigeria is in the hands of the private sector.
“I advise the Federal Government to remove the fuel subsidy; it is the fuel subsidy that is killing the economy of this great nation.
“An individual can build private refineries and sell refined products instead of buying refined products from abroad (and selling them to Nigerians).
“If we actually want to live; if we want to survive as a nation, there must be complete removal of fuel subsidy.”
Onukeme, who is the managing director of Tonimas Group, said that recent developments in the world oil market had made the importation of refined petroleum products an unsustainable venture.
He said that the Nigerian economy could be protected from unnecessary stress occasioned by constant fuel scarcity, if government would encourage local refining of crude.
The industrialist said that the private sector remained the major driver of any economy and should be encouraged by the Federal Government to set up oil refineries.
He said the Organised Private Sector in the country was eager to see the impact of the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on business and the economy.
He expressed optimism that the Nigerian economy would wax stronger in the course of the Buhari administration.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders in a better Nigeria to be patient and be supportive of Buhari’s economic reforms.
(NAN)
The Federal Government, on Tuesday, admitted spending N222.1 billion on fuel subsidy between January and July without the approval from the National Assembly and without its provisions in the 2015 Appropriation.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwaobia, represented by the Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Mr Aliyu Gusau, made the revelation in Abuja, on Tuesday, in her presentation at the ongoing public hearing organized by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the non-implementation of the 2015 capital budget.
She, however, explained the Federal Government, in one of its fiscal items, made the extra-budgetary spending under “Emergency Intervention (fuel subsidy crisis),” to end the eight-month long fuel scarcity which started in December 2014 and ended in July 2015.
This came just as the committee queried the finance ministry over N600 billion it borrowed from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)to finance the payment of salaries and wages, contrary to the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which “provides that money borrowed should be used to fund only capital projects.”
Read More: tribuneonlineng
The Federal Government’s daily spending on petrol subsidy may dropped from the N2.4 billion it recorded in June to N1.07 billion as at Monday this week.
Specifically, the country’s daily subsidy per litre of fuel has decreased from the N51.61per litre it recorded on June 11 to N22.42 per litre.
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), which made this disclosure on Monday in its pricing template , put the expected open market price of the product at N109.42.
Based on daily petrol consumption of 48 million litres, the total subsidy cost on the product as of September 7, would amount to N1.07 billion at N22.42 per litre.
Read More: ngrguardiannews
Nigeria will slash petrol subsidies by 90 percent this year because government revenues have been hit by the slump in oil prices.
The government had said it would gradually phase out fuel subsidies which are a significant burden on public finances, but cutting subsidies risks aggravating a fuel crisis in the country.
Major cities are experiencing a crippling gasoline shortage as oil importers feel the pinch from unpaid government subsidies, a plummeting local currency and tighter credit lines triggered by lower crude prices, oil traders and local industry sources say.
While Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer, a neglected refining system means it is almost wholly reliant on imports for the 40 million litres per day of gasoline it consumes.
Parliament approved the reduction in subsidies to 100 billion naira ($505 million) for 2015, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said late on Tuesday. The cuts were accounted for in last week’s 4.49 trillion naira budget for 2015, but the breakdown was not announced until Tuesday.
Read More: reuters
Memberw of the House of Representatives, Tuesday unanimously rejected a motion seeking the removal of fuel subsidy.
This was sequel to a motion promoted by Rep Sunday Kareemi, PDP, Kogi entitled:’The recurring crisis of fuel subsidy’ which was killed on arrival by members of the House.
Lawmakers in turn roundly condemned the motion saying it is anti-people to remove fuel subsidy.
Details On: vanguardngr
The Federal Government on Monday met with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) with the assurance of bringing an end to the current fuel scarcity.
The meeting, presided over by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Omonjo-Iweala, was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance in Abuja.
It was resolved at the meeting, which was attended by representatives of MOMAN and some senior officials in the Finance ministry, that the outstanding subsidy claims would be paid even after a new government must have taken over power.
She said with the understanding reached with the marketers, all the outstanding debts would be paid based on the claims processed by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.
Read More: Punch
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) seem to be gearing for war with the incoming government of General Muhammadu Buhari over fuel subsidy removal.
The two labour groups made a vow yesterday in Abuja that they would the incoming administration a fight over the plans he had been announcing on the removal of fuel subsidy when he gets into power late next month.
This position was made known by the factional Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Peters Adeyemi during a press briefing ahead of the activities of the 2015 Workers’ Day. He stated that the subsidy does not exist as it is part of the corruption the country is battling with and must see that it does not happen.
The labour body also warned the incoming administration of Buhari not to be desperate in looking for money in the wrong places. “We know it has been a contentious issue over the years. We have consistently said that there is nothing like subsidy. So it is all about corruption. If you also take your minds back to the so called removal of subsidy, it is something that numerous governments have embarked upon without an end. So who tells you that if the incoming government embarks on it, it will see to the end of removal of subsidy?” he asked.
“During Obasanjo’s government, this exercise was embarked upon about 11 times and Labour engaged the government severally. It is like the more you see, the less you see. For us in Labour, we are not going to support that, both NLC and TUC. So I hope that the incoming government in his desperation to look for money will do that. It is part of corruption. For now we do not have the disposition to support that and we are not supporting it,” he added.
He added that NLC and TUC do not have the mandate of their members to support the removal of the subsidy.
Speaking on the call by NLC to pay outstanding salaries before the May 29 handover date, Adeyemi said they have already commenced campaigns, also partnering with State Councils to make sure that the outgoing governors pay their workers before they exit office. According to him, there will be no justification for any Governor who does not pay its worker before exit.
“The NLC has already taking decisions and are working already, we have constituted task forces that will go round the states that we have identified which has refused to pay salary. Right now, we are partnering with state councils with the view of taking on those governors, we are determined to make sure that before May 29, we put in place appropriate actions that will compel those governors to do something positively on the money they owe us”.
Read More: sunnewsonline
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The Lagos State government has filed two suits against the Nigeria Police over citizens shot during the anti-fuel subsidy protests last January.
In the first suit ID/153m/2012 filed at the High Court of Lagos State on behalf of those who sustained gun shot wounds on the same day; the state prayed the court to compel the respondents to issue unreserved apologies to the applicants in two national newspapers and electronic media.
Joined in the suit were the Inspector General of Police, CSP Segun Fabunmi, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The applicants; Chizoba Odoh, Samuel Egbujor, Abubakar Alimi, and Joy Monday; sustained various degrees of injuries after the trigger-happy Mr. Fabunmi opened fire on them.
In addition, the state asked the court to order that the sum of N100 million be awarded as damages to each of the applicants by the respondents for psychological trauma, mental and emotional torture, loss of income and employment, among others.
In the second suit ID/154m/2012; the state government prayed the court for an order for the enforcement of the fundamental right of life of Ademola Samuel Abe.
Ademola Samuel Abe was shot on January 9 by Mr. Fabunmi, a Divisional Police Officer, during the protests.
The suit filed on behalf of Adebayo Abe, the deceased’s elder brother, asked the court to order the payment of the sum of N200 million jointly and severally against the respondents as compensation for the violation of the fundamental human right to life of Mr. Abe.
Speaking after the burial ceremony of Ademola Samuel Abe, whose remains were interred on Wednesday in Lagos; Omotola Rotimi, the Director of the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) told journalists that they would get a hearing date “very soon.”
“The Directorate of Public Prosecution will take over the criminal case, the OPD is doing the civil case on the violation of their rights,” said Mrs. Rotimi.
“It is only in the civil suit that they can get compensation in monetary terms; the criminal case is just for the person to get punishment.
