Politics
Xenophobic Attacks: Committee Urges Restraint From Nigerian Students
The Committee of Youth on Mobilisation and Sensitisation (CYMS) yesterday appealed to youths and students’ organisations in Nigeria to refrain from further planned picketing of South African businesses in Nigeria over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in their country.
The committee’s Director-General, Mr Obinna Nwaka, who made the appeal in a statement in Abuja however, condemned the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Recall that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had on August 8, picketed three South African companies, including MTN, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to protest the frequent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
The other companies picketed were MultiChoice DSTV and Stanbic IBTC in Abeokuta.
The protesters had carried placards with different inscriptions such as: “Nigerian students can no longer keep quiet while South Africans kill Nigerians.
“All South African business interests must leave Nigeria.”
No fewer than 127 Nigerians have been reportedly killed in various dimensions of xenophobic attacks in South Africa over the years.
NANS had also on July 26, embarked on a protest in Markurdi, Benue State, against the inhuman treatment of Nigerians in South Africa, as they picketed some establishments affiliated to South Africa operating in Makurdi.
The students, who had decried the killing of Nigerians in South Africa, noted that they would not allow South African businesses to run in Nigeria
Nwaka described South African xenophobic attacks on fellow Africans as unpleasant and did not represent the Pan-African philosophy of late Nelson Mandela.
“While appreciating Nigerians for their concerns over the attacks, we call on youths and students’ organisations to stop taking laws into their hands by picketing South African businesses like MTN, DSTV and other organisations,” he said.
Nwaka warned about the consequences of any attempted reprisal attacks, saying such would increase violence, crime and worsen the unemployment situation in Nigeria.
He, however, implored the South African government to adopt proactive measures to end the killing of Nigerians and ensure peaceful coexistence between citizens of both countries.
On “#RevolutionNow” protest, Nwaka, noted that CYMS condemned the act in its entirety.
He urged groups, students and youth bodies to desist from supporting undemocratic and unpatriotic activities.
He appealed to the Federal Government to temper justice with mercy and release the arrested protesters along with their leader, Mr Omoyele Sowore.
Nwaka said, “ the demands of Sowore for a better governance is good but his approach would have resulted to a national embarrassment and distraction to governance.”
Nwaka used the forum to felicitate with Muslim faithful on the celebration of Eid-el-Kabir and congratulated Nigerian youths on the occasion of the International Youth Day celebration with the theme “Transforming Education”.
He said CYMS was a body charged with the responsibility of mobilising the support of young people for government policies and programmes.
He urged government at all levels to reciprocate patriotic disposition of Nigerian youths by providing then with secured environment, basic standard education and inclusion in governance as promised during the 2019 electioneering.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
