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SUBSIDY REMOVAL: NEC SETS UP AD-HOC COMMITTEE TO LIAISE WITH LABOUR UNION LEADERSHIP

SUBSIDY REMOVAL: NEC SETS UP AD-HOC COMMITTEE TO LIAISE WITH LABOUR UNION LEADERSHIP
Urges State Governments to upscale distribution of palliatives
Mourns military personnel killed in Niger State
By: Our Reporter
In a bid to create a forum for dialogue towards resolving issues surrounding the petrol subsidy removal across the States, the National Economic Council (NEC) has constituted an Ad-hoc Committee to engage with the leadership of labour unions.
The decision was reached at the 135th meeting of NEC chaired by the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Thursday.
The committee comprises the Nigerian Governors Forum Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor of Anambra State,Chukwuma Soludo; Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; PDP Governors Forum Chairman, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.
Vice President said the committee will liaise with the leadership of labour unions in the country to find a way forward on the emerging issues in the interest of the nation.
Council also received progress reports on the ongoing nationwide distribution of rice, grains, fertilizer, other items to States and N5 billion financial support, provided by the Federal Government and commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their interventions.
Council then noted various interventions by State governments and urged them to upscale the distribution of palliatives towards alleviating the suffering of citizens especially the vulnerable groups.
NEC also mourned the death of some military personnel in Niger State and observed a minute silence in honour of deceased, while commiserating with their families.
Below are other highlights of the meeting:
Excess Crude Account from 19th July to 14th August, 2023, $473,754.57
Stabilisation Account from 18th July to 14th August, N30,346,557,405.12
Natural Resources Account from 18th July to 14th August 2023, N115,175,616,159.65
PRESENTATION OF PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF FLOOD DISASTER ACROSS THE STATES IN NIGERIA BY GOVERNOR OF KOGI STATE
The Governor at the 128th NEC Meeting held on 20th October, 2022, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum and Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, drew attention of Council to the devastating effect of the 2022 flooding which affected about 31 States of the Federation that had resulted in the loss of over 600 lives, displacement of millions of people, destruction of hundreds of thousands of houses and submersion of thousands of hectares of farmlands and appealed for urgent intervention from the Federal Government to address the impact of the menace on the people and infrastructure.
Consequently, Council resolved to setup a 5-man Ad-hoc Committee on flooding comprising of Governors of Jigawa, Kogi, Anambra, Bayelsa, Lagos and Yobe State. The following were also coopted into the Committee:
Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning
Honourable Minister of Water Resources
Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management
Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria
Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
The Terms of Reference of the Committee was to “Review the current flooding situation in the country and design a template for compensation of victims”.
The Committee had its inaugural meeting on Thursday 10th November 2022 at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat. Highlight of the Meeting were as follows:
The Committee acknowledged the urgency of the assignment and hence the need to expedite action in order to table a draft report at the next NEC Meeting.
A sub-committee was constituted to propose modalities to address imminent food crisis due to the flooding and possible source of funding for palliatives to victims. The Sub-committee was to be Chaired by the Executive Governor of Kebbi State and the following as Members: Ministries of Agriculture, Humanitarian, Finance, NEMA and CBN.
NEC Secretariat to develop and forward a Template with accompanying letter to all the affected States to collect data on Preliminary Assessment of the impact of the flood in the affected Communities, harmonize the data and produce report of their findings to the Committee.
LIMITATIONS
The exercise would have been more successful and effective if all the affected States had responded as and when due and according to provisions made in the template. Some of the limitations include the following:
Delay or Non-submission of filled template by some States. Only 16 out of the total number of affected States forwarded their submissions to NEC Secretariat to date as expected. About 15 others were yet to do so. The submission from defaulting States are awaited to update the database.
Some of the States that submitted did not fully complied with requisitions of the template thereby making some of their submissions difficult to process by the automated system. There is the need for compliance with laid down processes to allow for higher degree of uniformity especially considering the huge volume of data involved.
Only few States reached out to the Council Secretariat’s Technical Team for possible guidance and assistance in the exercise. States are encouraged to take advantage of the Secretariat’s personnel to address important concerns where necessary.
Only few States indicated financial implication for the damages caused thereby making it difficult to proposed a required amount of intervention.
Some submissions were not done according to the template which makes difficult to ascertain the financial implications of such states.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The plight of victims of the unfortunate flood disaster across affected States of the Federation could be alleviated if the much needed intervention from the Federal Government materialized without further delay.
There is therefore the need to expedite release of fund to affected States as recommended by designated Committees constituted by the Federal Government to that effect. This would go a long way in addressing the needs of the victims as well as offset debt incurred by some States to assist their citizens.
COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS
NEC Secretariat and officials of the Office of the Vice President to visit the affected states for on-the-spot assessment of the situation on ground. The exercise will authenticate the date submitted by state to determine needed intervention.
That Federal Government’s immediate intervention to be expeditiously carried out by NEMA, Ecological Fund Office and other relevant agencies. States to assure maximum cooperaton.
NEC resolves that all hands should be on deck to assure appropriate submission and data presentation. The quality of data collected should be enhanced to meet international standard. That the challenges of flooding deserves concerted and collective effort.
There is need to strengthen NEMA as a structure and sustainable adaptation measures for the citizens. In mobilizing resources to tem the tide of flooding, there is need to look beyond NEMA.
NEC Secretariat to come up with recommedations on the roadmap towards addressing the flood situtation.
PRESENTATION ON EXPLORING A NEC AGENDA FOR MACROECONOMICS STABILITY & SHARED PROSPERITY BY DG NESG
The Presentation was to inform the council on achieving low Inflation and stimulation Growth and Macroeconomic Objectives.
MACROECONOMIC STABILITY OBJECTIVES:
- High and stable economy
- Low Inflation Growth Price level
- unemployment Account
- Favourable Current low balance and stable exchange rate account balance
CURRENT MACROECONOMIC LANDSCAPE
- Investment inflows have dwindled since 2019, likewise the country’s investment/GDP ratio; Crude Oil exports and refined petroleum products imports dominate Nigeria’s trade structure.
- Nigeria’s Naira position against major trading currencies deteriorated
- Weak FX supply and heightened demand for imports remains core drivers of exchange rate instability; market volatility persists despite recent FX alignment, driven by pressure on FX demand that widens the gap between official and parallel market rates due to inadequate supply and speculative tendencies; external reserves remain under pressure as external reserves fell by 8.3 percent from 37.1 billion in January 2023 to 33.9 billion in July 2023.
KEY CONSIDERATION FOR IMPROVING THE OUTCOMES OF FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL - Inflationary impact: Fuel subsidy removal will increase inflation. So, there is a need for robust social programmes.
- Efficiency in government spending: There has been a lack of clarity on how the government spends subsidy savings. This issue must be addressed.
- Investment in the downstream and midstream segments of the industry: Achieving this will reduce huge dependence on petrol imports and strike out the need to pay subsidies on fuel.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The NEC must insist on pushing a national legislative reform agenda for national competitiveness. It is essential that nigeria resolves the legislative binding constraints to our national competitiveness, the nesg through nassber, our partnership with national assembly and nigerian bar association has identified over 115 legislations that hinder growth, in the last few years, 10 legislations have been passed (including the cama 2020 and the pia 2021.
COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS:
- Council commended NESG for its presentation especially on pragmatic roadmaps for tackling current economic challenges.
- It was noted that the recommendations contained in the NESG’s roadmap needs to be reviewed to align with existing economic agenda at the national and sub-national levels for pragmatic purposes.
SUBSIDY REMOVAL: NEC SETS UP AD-HOC COMMITTEE TO LIAISE WITH LABOUR UNION LEADERSHIP
News
DSS-led joint operation crushes ESN strongholds, kills top kingpins in Imo

DSS-led joint operation crushes ESN strongholds, kills top kingpins in Imo
By: Zagazola Makama
A wave of coordinated security offensives in Imo State has barbecued the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), with the killing of key kingpins and the dislodgement of notorious terrorist camps in forested parts of Njaba and Isu Local Government Areas.
Zagazola Makama understand that The offensive, which began on June 29, was spearheaded by the Department of State Services (DSS) in close collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, special forces, and local tactical units.
It was launched after the arrest and detailed confessions of two ESN commanders Uchenna Opara, popularly known as Ntanta Miri, and Ozioma Ihedoro, a.k.a OZ, both natives of Umuaka community in Njaba LGA.
Acting on actionable intelligence, the joint team raided and obliterated several terrorist enclaves, including Umuele Umuaka, Ezioha, and Ugbele Umuaka, known safe havens of the separatist group.
A fierce gun battle ensued as operatives stormed the camps. Three ESN fighters were neutralised during the confrontation, while others reportedly escaped with bullet wounds. Their bodies were later recovered along the Ugbele Umuaka axis.
What followed was a methodical clearance operation targeting the B44 camp cluster, long considered one of ESN’s strategic base networks. The camps, codenamed B44 Tangle 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9, were all successfully dislodged by the joint force.
A caterpillar operator working with the team was tragically killed in the line of duty when the group came under sudden fire while approaching the B44 main camp. He was rushed to the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, but later confirmed dead by a medical officer on duty.
Items recovered from the operation included:
One AK-47 rifle, 15 rounds of live ammunition, pump-action shotgun, two locally made IEDs, one human skull and a Biafran flag
In addition, two suspected ESN members were arrested during the combing of nearby bush paths. The duo Emeka Ogene Sabinus of Ezi Isu in Isu LGA and Nnabuike Emmanuel of Ohofia Oduma in Aninri LGA, Enugu State were said to bear tribal incisions associated with the proscribed militia.
The collapse of the B44 cluster was significant in the counterinsurgency drive in the South-East, where pockets of armed resistance have posed growing threats to residents, security personnel, and national assets.
“The terrain is difficult, but our operatives are relentless,” a senior official close to the operation said. “We are targeting leadership figures, supply chains, and safe havens.”
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to apprehend fleeing fighters, with mop-up operations continuing in adjoining forest belts across Orlu, Njaba, and Isu corridors.
The Imo offensive adds to a growing list of successes by joint intelligence-led operations aimed at stabilising regions grappling with armed separatist violence, kidnappings, and the weaponisation of local grievances.
DSS-led joint operation crushes ESN strongholds, kills top kingpins in Imo
News
FCT police arrest three wanted kidnappers linked to killings, mass abductions

FCT police arrest three wanted kidnappers linked to killings, mass abductions
By: Zagazola Makama
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested three most-wanted bandits and kidnappers operating across Abuja and neighbouring parts of Kaduna State.
According to a police sources, the arrests were carried out on June 29 between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., by operatives of the Scorpion Squad led by ACP Victor O. Godfrey, following actionable and digital reconstructive intelligence.
The sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspects were identified as: Abdulkadir Abubakar, a native of Mpape, FCT, Mohammed Tasiu Sani, of Rigina, Kaduna State, Suleiman Jibrin, 27, of Sabon-Gayan, Kaduna State.
The three suspects, all Fulani by tribe, have been on the command’s most-wanted list for
their roles in multiple kidnapping and banditry operations, particularly in Jere, Kajuru, the FCT and its environs.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to abducting victims and moving them to detention camps in Kachia and Rigina forests in Kaduna State. Some victims, they admitted, were held for months, while others were killed at will.
The sources revealed that one of the suspects, Abdulkadir Abubakar, provided disturbing details of internal executions within the gang, in which some members were killed by their own leaders over mistrust and betrayal.
An operational motorcycle, popularly referred to by locals as the “Boko Haram Motorcycle,” was recovered during the raid. The suspects are currently assisting operatives in ongoing efforts to recover arms and ammunition, and to track down other gang members still at large.
FCT police arrest three wanted kidnappers linked to killings, mass abductions
News
Young farm labourer shot dead while fleeing Amotekun in Osun

Young farm labourer shot dead while fleeing Amotekun in Osun
By: Zagazola Makama
A 20-year-old farm labourer identified as Solomon (surname yet unknown) has been found dead with gunshot wounds after he was allegedly shot by a member of the Western Nigeria Security Network, also known as Amotekun, along the Ilesa/Iperindo Road in Osun State.
The incident, which occurred on June 29, followed the reported confrontation between a local security operative and a group of five farm labourers on their way to a farmland.
According to Temidayo Olowookere, the employer of the deceased, the labourers were accosted around 11:00 a.m. by an Amotekun operative, one Ajayi Ibukun, who accused them of extorting money from passersby. Two members of the group were apprehended, while the remaining three fled into the bush.
Olowookere said the detained workers were later released to him in the afternoon. However, later in the evening, when two of the three fleeing labourers returned, Solomon remained missing.
A search party was immediately organised. His body was discovered in the bush with gunshot wounds on his back, raising suspicions that he may have been shot during the initial confrontation.
His remains were evacuated to Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, where he was confirmed dead and deposited at the morgue for autopsy.
Police say efforts are currently underway to trace and apprehend the security operative allegedly involved in the shooting, while the community continues to call for justice.
Young farm labourer shot dead while fleeing Amotekun in Osun
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