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Bakers Issue 14-Day Ultimatum To FG
Lovers of bread in Nigeria may soon have to do without the staple food as bakers in seven states have threatened to down tools unless the Federal Government intervenes in the skyrocketing prices of the ingredients of the products.
Bakers from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara States yesterday protested in Lagos an gave the federal government, a 14–day ultimatum to urgently intervene in the plight of bakers as well as the general masses in the country.
Armed with placards, with inscription such as : “Bread may disappear in 14 days, if situation does not change , Masses are suffering , bread is no longer affordable, too many job losses in the baking industry, federal government, baking sector must not collapse and Bakers throughout the country may down tools very soon if flour prices are not reduced, the bakers claimed that many of them had gone bankrupt.
The south-west chairman of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Alhaji Abibu Abolusodun, while speaking during the protest also said that the Nigerian masses cannot afford another hike in the price of bread again.
The vice chairman of the association, Prince Jacob Adejorin also said that the price of baking ingredients had gone up by about 100 % in the last two years.
Alhaji Abolusodun passionately appealed to the federal government of Nigeria to reduce the 70% import duty on wheat importation as a way of forcing millers to reduce the cost of wheat flour.
He also wants “ flour millers to be given access to dollar / foreign currencies directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria to purchase their raw materials and that the” empowerment charge of #1000 levied on 50kg of flour be stopped forthwith.”
He also advised that “ the accrued amount of the # 1000 so far collected be used to empower bakers nationwide as a way of alleviating the hardship that they have been going through.”
Alhaji Abolusodun opined that “ the master bakers is of the opinion that when the federal government intercedes, the flour millers should revert the prices of wheat flour and sugar to its original price. Those are the two major ingredients that determine the price of bread in the market.”
“ Between January and February 2016, a 50 kg of wheat flour was sold for # 6500, while a 50kg of sugar was #8000 and right now as I am addressing you a 50 kg of wheat flour is sold for # 11,200, while a 50kg of sugar is sold for #17 000 ex-factory. In the south-east and the north, the prices are unimaginable,” the bakers’ chairman said.
Adejorin said that the bakers gave the government the 14–day ultimatum to save the Nigerian masses from further hardship and to prevent millions of bakers from being rendered jobless.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.