News
NLC Lists Dangers Of Oil Subsidy Removal
The proposed removal of oil subsidy by the Federal Government will encourage the adulteration of petroleum products in the country, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Delta State, Mr Mike Akusu, has said.
Akusu told newsmen in Asaba yesterday that with the removal of subsidy, dealers of petroleum products would want to make more gains by adulterating the products.
He said that the subsidy removal would also push the country back to the era of “non-availability” of the products, with escalating prices.
The NLC chairman further said that the removal of the subsidy would cause unemployment.
He explained that the common man, especially artisans, who depended on such products to power their generators, would no longer afford the products.
“And that will consequently result in increase in criminality, mass unemployment and inflation in the prices of other goods in the market.”
Akusu advised the Federal Government to take into consideration the adverse effects of its policies on the populace before implementation.
In his reactions to the proposed fuel subsidy removal, Dr John Nwachokor, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Delta chapter, said “it will only help in enriching politicians”.
He complained that even the 13 per cent derivation fund to oil producing states in the country had not been well-utilised.
Nwachokor said that more than half of the benefiting states had no developmental structures on ground to show for what they received.
He accused the government of some of the benefiting states of diverting the funds, rather than using it for the development of the states.
Also reacting, a commercial motorcyclist, Mr Chukwujindu Anozia, appealed to the Federal Government not to remove the oil subsidy.
He said “the current status of availability of petroleum products and at pump price is the best gift any president can give to the country.’’
He commended late President Umar Yar’Adua “for his foresight in subsidising petroleum products to ameliorate the hardships of the people.”
He also appealed to President GoodLuck Jonathan to maintain the status quo.
Another commercial motorcyclist, Mr David Eluaka, said that the removal of subsidy would cause more hardship in the nation.
He said, “it will amount to going back to the days of petroleum products users spending nights at filling stations just to get products.”
He appealed to the Federal Government to always work toward enhancing the living conditions of its citizenry rather than making them worse.
Meanwhile, Some Islamic leaders on Tuesday described the planned removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government as ill-timed, given the prevalent climate of unemployment, poverty and bad infrastructure in the country.
The leaders spoke in separate interviews with newsmen in Lagos.
Alhaji Lateef Okunnu, President, Ansar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria, said the planned removal was a very delicate issue that would expose Nigerians to more hardship.
“The removal is ill-timed and unnecessary because it would make Nigerians pay more for fuel and other goods and services under a climate of unemployment, bad infrastructure and poverty,’’ he told newsmen.
Okunnu, a former Federal Commissioner for Works, said that the cost of governance— which he noted had been too high— should be reduced at the expense of fuel subsidy.
“The cost of governance is artificially high and if it is reduced very well, funds saved would be used in executing more capital projects,’’ he said.
The Islamic leader urged the Federal Government to reduce the allowances and salaries of legislators, which he claimed was too high.
He also advised the government to reduce the number of Ministers and Advisers, saying there were only 12 Federal Commissioners who performed the role of Ministers when he served and that they did not perform badly.
“Even the developed economies do not have large numbers of Ministers like ours. We were 12 Ministers then and we did not perform badly, ‘’ he said.
Prof. Tajudeen Gbadamosi, a retired don at the University of Lagos, described the planned removal as “unfortunate”.
“It is unfortunate that such removal could be brought at a time when Nigerians are just getting off the trauma of violence,’’ he said.
Gbadamosi said that removal of the subsidy would be very harsh on the people, alluding that it was ill-timed and unnecessary.
“It is a misplaced priority that needs not be introduced at a time when the issue of minimum wage , militancy, violence, poverty and bad infrastructure are yet to be resolved,’’ Gbadamosi explained.
The Federal Government had recently announced its plan to remove fuel subsidy from 2012 as part of reforms to salvage the economy.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.
This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.
The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.
The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.
From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.
Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.
From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.
The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.
The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.
The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the Polytechnic, recently.
Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.
He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.
This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly, Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.
The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.
Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.
He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.
The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.
Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.
Chinedu Wosu
-
Sports23 hours ago
FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
-
Sports23 hours ago
NNL abolishes playoffs for NPFL promotion
-
Sports23 hours ago
CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
-
Sports23 hours ago
NPFL club name Iorfa new GM
-
Sports23 hours ago
Kwara Hopeful To Host Confed Cup in Ilorin
-
Sports23 hours ago
NSF: Early preparations begin for 2026 National Sports Festival
-
Sports23 hours ago
RSG Award Renovation Work At Yakubu Gowon Stadium
-
Sports22 hours ago
RSG Pledges To Develop Baseball