The Arewa Citizens for Change and Renewed Hope has given a resounding endorsement to Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, describing him as an exemplary leader who embodies dedication and excellence.

In a statement signed by its President, Alhaji Ibrahim Turakin, the group praised Gbajabiamila’s exceptional leadership skills, which according to them foster unity and purpose, essential for national progress.

Turakin hailed his ability to navigate complex policy landscapes to ensure effective implementation and impactful outcomes.

According to him, Gbajabiamila excels as a rallying point for excellence between the executive and parliament, appointees and elected officials, and the older generation and youth.

Turakin said his experience as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and one of the country’s best legislators ever coupled with his wisdom to balance competing interests has created a brighter future for all Nigerians.

He further praised Gbajabiamila’s impact on the Presidency and masses as profound, streamlining processes, enhancing efficiency, and attracting investments to stimulate development.

Alhaji Turakin added that Gbajabiamila drives progress, unity, and development, making him an invaluable asset to President Tinubu’s team.

“As Nigeria prepares to celebrate its independence, we reflect on the exceptional leadership that has defined our nation’s progress. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, exemplifies dedication and excellence,” he said. 

“Gbajabiamila’s remarkable journey in public service spans over two decades, with six consecutive terms in the House of Representatives. His passion for Nigeria’s growth and development has earned him a reputation as a brilliant legislator and visionary leader.

“As Speaker of the House of Representatives, he demonstrated unwavering commitment to the nation’s well-being. Gbajabiamila seamlessly bridges the gap between the presidency, his staff, and the masses.

“His exceptional leadership skills foster unity and purpose, essential for national progress. With strategic vision and expertise, he navigates complex policy landscapes, ensuring effective implementation and impactful outcomes.

“As a rallying point for excellence, Gbajabiamila excels between the executive and parliament, appointees and elected officials, and the older generation and youth. His experience and wisdom balance competing interests, creating a brighter future for all Nigerians.

“In his role, Gbajabiamila has demonstrated exceptional leadership, fostering unity and purpose among the president’s staff and the broader administration. His door is always open, listening to diverse perspectives and finding common ground.

“As the engine room of this administration, Gbajabiamila drives progress, unity, and development, making him an invaluable asset to President Tinubu’s team. Gbajabiamila’s impact on the Presidency and the masses is profound.

“He streamlines processes, enhances efficiency, and attracts investments, stimulating development. His experience has helped navigate complex policy landscapes, ensuring effective implementation and impactful outcomes. Gbajabiamila’s selfless dedication to Nigeria is a beacon of hope.”

Turakin, therefore, concluded that Gbajabiamila embodies the spirit of excellence that Nigeria needs and should be supported to continue to help President Tinubu achieve his Renewed Hope Agenda.

The liabilities of oil companies to the Federation have increased to $6.175bn as of June 2024, a new report by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has stated.

It noted that in last decade, the Federal Government HAD spent a total sum of N15.8tn on price differentials and under-recovery (subsidy) on the importation of 200.85 billion litres of petrol into the country.

This revelation was contained in the 2022/2023 oil and gas industry report, presented by the agency on Thursday in Abuja. The report’s details were based on an audit of the petroleum industry conducted by the agency during the review period, according to the NEITI Executive Secretary, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya.

“A total of N15.87tn has been claimed as under-recovery/price differentials between 2006 and 2023, with 2022 recording the highest of N4.714tn,” the report read in part.

In his address at the event, Orji said the released report was not just a document but a call to action, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

“This report, produced by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, comes at a critical time when the nation is intensifying its reforms in the oil and gas sector. The report provides valuable insights that will help guide policy, encourage robust public debate, and ultimately improve governance in the management of our natural resources,” he said.

Orji further noted the report contains several key findings and recommendations, which include the identification of revenue leakages, the need for improved compliance with regulatory frameworks, and suggestions for increasing transparency in oil and gas operations.

An analysis of the report showed that the government expended a considerable amount of its resources to pay for price differentials, also known as subsidies, between 2014 and 2023, while its petrol imports surged yearly increasing the cost of subsidies.

The report disclosed that the government paid N3.01tn for the petrol subsidy in 2023 compared to N4.71tn paid in 2022.

It stated that a total of 23.54bn litres of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) were imported into the country in 2022, while 20.28bn litres were imported in 2023. This represents a reduction of 3.25bn litres, or a 14 per cent decline, following the removal of the subsidy.

“A detailed 10-year trend analysis (2014–2023) shows that the highest annual PMS importation into the country, 23.54bn litres, was recorded in 2022, while the lowest, 16.88bn litres, was recorded in 2017. A total of N15.87tn was claimed as under-recovery/price differentials between 2006 and 2023, with the highest amount, N4.714tn, recorded in 2022,” it stated.

A further breakdown showed that N480bn was spent as subsidies for the importation of 18.93bn litres of fuel in 2014. This figure reduced to N320bn despite an increase amount of fuel import of 19.27bn litres in 2015.

In 2016, the NEITI said the government spent N100bn to import 18.76bn liters of fuel while N140bn was disbursed for the for the import of 16.88bn liters of petrol products in 2017.

However, by the following year of 2018, the figure for subsidy increased drastically by N580bn to N720bn, for the import of 20bn liters. The figure dropped sharply to N580bn for an increased import of 20.60bn litres in 2019.

By 2020, the amount spent on subsidy reduced further to N130bn. The government imported a total sum of 22.05bn litres within this period.

In contrast, the government spent N1.16tn as subsidy on the import of 22.54bn liters in 2021, disbursed N4.71tn as a price differential for the import of 23.54bn liters in 2022, and N3.01tn for the import of N20.28bn liters in 2023.

It added that liabilities owed to the federation include $6.071bn and N66.4bn in unpaid royalties and gas flare penalties owed to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission by August 31, 2024.

Additionally, there are outstanding petroleum profit taxes, company income taxes, withholding taxes, and VAT owed to the Federal Inland Revenue Service amounting to $21.926m and N492.8m as of June 2024.

Reacting to this, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukayode, pledged to recover the owed debts of $6bn and N66bn to the federation.

The EFCC chairman also announced that he had approved the transfer of over N1bn derived from funds recovered through previous NEITI audits into the Federation Account.

Olukayode said, “Over the years as an anti-corruption agency in the country we are part of the success of the work of NEITI. Where the work stops at the level of presenting this report, then we take off from there to ensure that the recommendations therein and revelations therein particularly as relates to criminal infractions, and violation of our financial laws, it is taken up seriously.

“I am also happy to announce to you that as of yesterday (Wednesday), I still approved that over a billion so remitted to the Federal Government account as a result of the work of the last report of NEITI.”

On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, assured stakeholders that the government would continue to grant NEITI the freedom to do fulfill its mandate to the country and the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

Akume said, “As the Chairman of the NEITI Board, I stand before you today to underscore the Federal Government’s respect for NEITI’s independence. While my role as Chairperson is a testament to the importance the government places on NEITI, it also signifies the commitment to ensure that NEITI operates independently, without interference, as mandated by the EITI standard.

“We have to safeguard this independence with great care and diligence, ensuring that NEITI can operate free from undue influence.”

About 11 persons have died following a cholera outbreak in Ndibokote village of Ezza Inyimagu, Izzi Local Council of Ebonyi State. Meanwhile, African countries and health partners have pledged up to $314 million to a new monkey pox (mpox) fund, the Head, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, announced yesterday.

Among the cholera victims is a nursing mother, who left behind a nine-month-old baby. The Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, confirmed this in a statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Lucy Anyim.

Apart from the deceased, about 20 persons affected by the outbreak are reportedly responding to treatment, as efforts have been made to put the disease under control.

Noting that Governor Francis Nwifuru approved the procurement of medical commodities to curtail the outbreak the commissioner added that three treatment centres, including the Iziogo Health Centre, Sudan Mission Onuenyim and Ndibokote village had been established in the area.

Open defecation and poor hygiene have been attributed to the outbreak as most communities got drinking water from streams. Such people were advised to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Kaseya said $129 million would come from the pandemic fund to support 10 countries impacted by mpox, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan.

“Our team is working with the pandemic fund team to allocate these resources in the 10 countries approved for support,” he said at a virtual news conference.

The funding, created at a meeting of African heads of state earlier this week, is expected to bolster country and regional capacity in critical areas, including disease surveillance, diagnostics, laboratory networks and health workforce while addressing the immediate challenges posed by mpox.

The continental preparedness and response plan for Africa has a budget of about $600 million. Kaseya said the United States also committed to provide $500 million to support the continental response plan and one million vaccine doses.

According to him, Africa has secured 4.4 million vaccine doses against 10 million doses needed to control the disease. A total of 2,910 new cases of mpox and 16 new deaths, mostly in central and eastern Africa, were recorded the last week, according to the latest data from Africa CDC.

More than 32,000 confirmed cases have been recorded on the continent with 840 deaths this year. Compared to the same period last year, Kaseya said there had been more than a 194 per cent increase in cases in 15 African countries.

Mpox cases are steadily increasing across affected countries, Kaseya said, citing contact tracing and low testing capacity among the challenges. The testing rate on the continent stands at 49.5 per cent, whereby many cases cannot be confirmed.

Kaseya said, this week, Africa CDC would deliver available vaccines from the European Union (EU) to some affected countries like Rwanda, Central African Republic (CAR), South Africa, Burundi and Cameroon. DRC, the most affected country in the region, will begin vaccinations in the first week of October.

“Our objective is to stop this outbreak in the next six months and we need full support from member states and our partners,” he said.