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Nigerians Panic As State Governors Receive 7-Day Deadline To Reveal Expenditure Of N2bn Fuel Subsidy Palliative
Nigerians Panic As State Governors Receive 7-Day Deadline To Reveal Expenditure Of N2bn Fuel Subsidy Palliative....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on all 36 state governors in Nigeria to “publicly disclose comprehensive information regarding the utilization of the N2 billion palliative funds recently disbursed by the Federal Government, including the names of beneficiaries and a breakdown of the relief measures implemented with the allocated funds.”
Reports indicate that the Federal Government recently distributed N2 billion from the N5 billion palliative package allocated to each state in the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, to address the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies.
In an open letter dated September 9, 2023, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, the organization emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the management of the N2 billion palliative fund and any subsequent disbursements.
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SERAP stated, “Nigerians have a legitimate right to be informed about how their respective states are utilizing the relief funds allocated for fuel subsidy. This right is an enforceable legal entitlement.”
The organization further asserted, “Transparency and accountability in the allocation and expenditure of the N2 billion and any future disbursements to your state are essential to mitigate the risks of corruption, mismanagement, diversion, or abuse.”
The letter stated: “We kindly request that the recommended actions be taken within seven days of receiving and/or publishing this letter. Should there be no response within this period, SERAP will take all necessary legal measures to compel compliance with our request in the public interest.”
SERAP emphasized the importance of public access to details of the utilization of the N2 billion palliative fund and any subsequent disbursements as a crucial check on state activities, preventing potential misuse of public trust.
The letter highlighted the role of transparency in upholding democratic principles, stating, “The constitutional tenets of democracy also affirm the right of Nigerians to access information concerning the utilization of the N2 billion fuel subsidy relief fund. Citizen access to information is pivotal in fostering openness, transparency, and accountability, which are vital for the democratic order in the country.”
SERAP pointed out the ongoing adverse impact of the removal of fuel subsidies on disadvantaged and economically vulnerable Nigerians in multiple states, underscoring the importance of their right to an adequate standard of living.
The organization referred to legal provisions, including the Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, and international human rights agreements, which guarantee the right to information about the utilization of the N2 billion fuel subsidy relief funds.
The letter concluded by emphasizing the obligation of the state to fulfill transparency obligations and urged the governors to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in monitoring and tracking the use of the funds.
Nigeria ended the 24th African Athletics Championships on a strong note as the women’s 4x400m relay team stormed to gold on the final day, helping the country finish with a total of 12 medals.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The quartet of Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Jecinter Lawrence, and Patience Okon-George delivered a dominant performance to successfully defend their title, winning in 3:29.25 on Sunday and finishing comfortably ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya.
Nigeria controlled the race from the opening leg and crossed the finish line nearly 30 metres clear of their closest rivals, securing the country’s fourth gold medal of the competition.
Overall, Team Nigeria finished fourth on the medal table with four gold, five silver, and three bronze medals, behind Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia. Kenya topped the standings with 17 medals, including six gold, while South Africa also secured six gold medals, and Ethiopia claimed five.
Nigeria’s final-day silver medal came through Rosemary Chukwuma, who finished second in the women’s 200m with a time of 23.60s, behind Ivory Coast’s Maboundou Kone, who clocked 23.36s. Chukwuma ended the championships with three medals, having earlier won gold in the women’s 4x100m relay and silver in the 100m.
The country’s campaign was led by world record holder Tobi Amusan, who claimed gold in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.83s. The mixed 4x400m relay team of Ezekiel Asuquo, Toheebat Jimoh, Victor Sampson, and Patience Okon-George also secured gold in 3:16.44, while the women’s 4x100m relay team added another title in 42.94s.
Silver medals were won by Oyesade Olatoye in the hammer throw (69.60m), Divine Oladipo in the discus, and the men’s 4x100m relay team, which finished in 38.70s. Adaobi Tabugbo earned bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles with 13.26s, while Chidera Ezeakor also picked up bronze in the men’s 100m after running 10.31s, rounding off a strong outing for Nigeria.
Nigerian activist Omoyele Sowore has criticised singer Adekunle Gold over the legal case involving a young man identified as Adeboye Samuel.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
News reports that Adeboye was taken to court after making a social media post about the singer’s daughter.
Reacting to the development, Sowore referenced an old post by Adekunle Gold in which the singer had criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He noted that the post, which circulated during the 2012 fuel subsidy protests, had gone unpunished as an expression of free speech. The post read: “Dear God, if you give us Dagrin back, we will give you Jonathan in return.”
Sowore wrote on X: “@AdekunleGold in 2012 openly criticising then-President @GoodluckJonathan. Back then, it was rightly called free speech, and if he had been arrested for those tweets, we would have been on the streets demanding his immediate release.
“How then does someone who benefited from freedom of expression turn around years later to use the police, courts, and the brutal cybercrime framework against ordinary Nigerians over online banter and social media exchanges?
“You cannot enjoy free speech when you are powerless, and criminalise it the moment you become influential. Freedom of expression must apply to everyone, celebrities, politicians, activists, and poor young Nigerians on social media alike.”
He further urged the Nigeria Police Force not to act as a “private army” for influential individuals, and called on the judiciary to avoid imposing excessive penalties on online speech cases that, according to him, should not be treated as criminal matters.
Rabiu Kwankwaso, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on Nigerians to move beyond ethnic and religious divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Kwankwaso made the appeal during an interview with Trust TV on Sunday, where he spoke on political alignments ahead of the polls.
The former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) said political success in Nigeria cannot be achieved by the North or Muslims alone without support from Christians and other regions.
“We must look beyond tribe and religion. We are Northerners and Muslims, and everybody knows that, but we can’t play politics without Christians, Southeast, South-South or South-west,” he said.
Kwankwaso also praised former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, describing him as a widely accepted politician across the country.
“If you look at it, Peter Obi is a very popular politician in the entire South and many parts of Northern Nigeria, and you cannot take that from him, the same with the Kwankwasiyya movement,” he said.
He further noted that supporters of the Kwankwasiyya movement are largely young Nigerians who are seeking better opportunities rather than ethnic or family-based loyalty.
“We are lucky that our supporters are mainly young men and women who are looking for a way out. They are not looking for their brothers or their sisters or somebody close,” he added.
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