News
Subsidy removal: Labour threatens protest against Tinubu govt June
The regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had stated that the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, would be removed before the end of its tenure on May 29, 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, later explained that the subsidy removal was delayed by the 2023 general election and the planned population census.
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, had, after the Federal Executive Council meeting held on March 15, said no conclusion had been reached on how to lessen the likely impacts of the proposed petrol subsidy removal on the citizens.
He said although a committee headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had been working for about a year, nothing definite had been agreed upon.
Speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said the government would hand over the implementation of petrol subsidy removal and palliative measures to the incoming administration.
But the NLC and the TUC noted that there would only be a conditional acceptance of the removal of subsidy.
One of the principal officers of the NLC and President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Hakeem Ambali, said the union remained oppose to the removal of fuel subsidy.
Ambali, who is the national treasurer of the NLC, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja.
“We are opposed to the removal of fuel subsidy until the Nigerian government acts responsibly by fixing our moribund refineries,” he stated.
Ambali also called for the standardisation of private refineries, saying, “It is a shame that Nigerians are made to suffer for the incompetence of the government. We are the only oil producing country in the world that imports petroleum products; let the government license and serve as the regulator by standardising the operation of private refineries to service the domestic value chain.”
The National President, National Union of Teachers, Titus Amba, said the union would stand by the decision of the NLC on fuel subsidy removal.
“We are working together with the NLC. The position of the NLC as regards the issue of fuel subsidy is our own position,” he stated.
Corroborating the stand of the NLC, the TUC advised the president-elect to ensure the smooth running of modular refineries across the country, while noting that fuel subsidy was a scam.
The Vice-President of the TUC, who also doubles as the National President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Tommy Etim, explained why Nigeria needed functional modular refineries.
Etim advised the incoming administration of Tinubu to set the ball rolling.
He said, “The subsidy regime is a scam. I doubt if there is any subsidy to remove. Every day we wake up to new fuel prices and tariffs, so which subsidy are they talking about again? I think we have passed the level where we get shocked or get moved whenever we hear about the removal of any subsidy. Our advice to the incoming administration is for them not to hide under the shadow of any subsidy. We were made to believe that there was a subsidy. The solution now is for our refineries to work.
“The money used to service the so-called subsidy should be used to repair our moribund refineries. We have been kept in bondage. There is nothing else to excite us about subsidy. Let them repair the refineries and then the money used to service the so-called subsidy should be used to service other critical sectors. In the education sector for instance, a lot of issues need to be addressed. Similarly, we need to have a review of the minimum wage.
“So, when we say we don’t believe that the subsidy is still in existence, we are telling you what we believe. Fix the refineries and let us all move on.”
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the promotion of the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Livingstein Ikioye Orutugu, alongside 12 other Commissioners of Police, to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).
The Commission also approved the promotion of 17 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) to the substantive rank of Commissioner of Police (CP).
In addition, the PSC approved the promotion of 93 senior police officers to their next ranks following their successful performance in the recently concluded written examination and oral interview conducted at the Commission’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
The approvals were granted on July 1, 2026, at the PSC Corporate Headquarters in Abuja as one of the major resolutions reached during the Commission’s plenary meeting held the previous Wednesday.
Recall that CP Orutugu was appointed Police Commissioner and posted to Anambra state from the Zone 13 Police Command more than a year ago.
The Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (Rtd.), mni, while congratulating the promoted officers, urged them to remain truthful, transparent, and accountable in the discharge of their new responsibilities.
He further advised the officers to maintain the highest level of professionalism in the course of their duties, avoid involvement in civil disputes, particularly land-related matters, and remain mindful that there is life after retirement.
“Guard your reputation and integrity. Let your actions speak for you and not against you,” he said.
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has commended President Bola Tinubu for retaining His Excellency Kashim Shettima as Vice President for his second term.
Okechukwu, who is the former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), gave the commendation in a statement issued on Saturday in Enugu.
The APC Chieftain also advocated for the delegation of greater responsibilities to Shettima in overseeing the nation’s economic affairs.
Okechukwu said he was delighted that after all the speculation, rigmarole and political maneuvering surrounding the issue, President Tinubu graciously retained Vice President Shettima.
“May I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for graciously retaining His Excellency Kashim Shettima as Vice President and humbly request that more powers be delegated to him to oversee economic affairs.
“I am making this humble appeal based on the fact that the economic reforms of President Tinubu have yielded significant gains at the macroeconomic stability level.
“However, hunger and poverty remain pressing challenges, which invariably require the urgent delegation of greater economic responsibilities to the Vice President, given his background in rural development and economic management,” Okechukwu said
The APC Chieftain recalled that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), godfather of neoliberalism and leading advocate of neoliberal economic policies, noted in its 2026 Article IV Consultation on Nigeria that the country requires more inclusive growth.
He quoted IMF as saying “approximately 63 per cent of Nigerians now live below the national poverty line”.
Okechukwu stressed that while the President’s economic reforms had improved key macroeconomic indicators, greater attention must be directed toward translating those gains into tangible improvements in the living standards of ordinary Nigerians.
“Shettima’s academic background in Agricultural Economics, experience in banking, and record in public service place him in a strong position to support efforts aimed at reducing poverty, promoting rural development, and ensuring that economic growth becomes more inclusive,” he added.
A Catholic priest from Nigeria who was on a pastoral mission to the United States of America has taken his own life after the expiration of his visa and following prevailing new visa policy of the USA.
Reverend Father Benjamin Okwy Madu (Father Ben) as he was fondly called by his parishioners, aged 54, took his own life Thursday evening, July 2, 2026 after he reportedly expressed unwillingness to go back to Nigeria because he had fallen in love with the community of Cape Ann, the city of North Shore including the parishioners.
Boston Archbishop Richard G. Henning sent a message to fellow priests confirming that Father Ben took his own life.
Local law enforcement and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office investigated the scene and noted that no foul play was suspected.
“Sincerely, it is not my wish to return home right now, but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end,” Father Ben wrote.
“My heart is broken, yet my joy remains. I will miss the home I found away from home… I will deeply miss the seaside, where I often drive to after Mass to call my family and hear about their Sundays.” he was reported to have posted a farewell message on the parish newsletter.
Father Ben, a 54-year-old Nigerian national from the Diocese of Abakaliki, had been serving as a beloved hospital chaplain and parish priest on the North Shore of Massachusetts since 2021.
His R-1 religious worker visa was expiring, and he was ordered to return to Nigeria. Just days before his death.
The Boston Globe reported that he had expressed deep fears about what would happen to him upon returning to Nigeria, where clergy frequently face severe perils, including violence and kidnapping
The outbreak is said to have spread across several ISWAP enclaves, exposing worsening sanitary conditions and the dwindling availability of medical care within the insurgents’ camps.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama disclosed the development in a post on X, citing intelligence sources familiar with the situation.
According to the sources, two other ISWAP fighters who contracted the highly infectious disease were allegedly executed by members of the group after efforts to treat them in Kimba village proved unsuccessful.
The incident is believed to reflect the increasingly difficult conditions inside the terrorist camps, where sustained military offensives have disrupted supply routes and severely limited access to medicines, healthcare and other essential resources.
Intelligence sources said the combination of poor hygiene, inadequate medical facilities and mounting operational pressure has left many of the insurgents vulnerable to disease outbreaks.
The sources further disclosed that military commanders have been advised to intensify efforts to intercept medical supplies and pharmaceutical products suspected of being destined for terrorist hideouts. Security officials believe cutting off access to healthcare supplies could further weaken ISWAP’s ability to treat injured or sick fighters and reduce the group’s operational capacity.
While the reports have not been independently verified, the development is seen as another indication of the mounting challenges facing the insurgent group as security forces continue sustained operations across the North-East.
The development was disclosed on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In a shared post on his verified X handle, Onanuga simply announced that the victims had been released by their abductors.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies,” he wrote.
As of the time of filing this report, details surrounding their release, including whether any ransom was paid or the circumstances leading to their freedom, had yet to be disclosed.
The abductions occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed men attacked three schools; Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area.
No fewer than 39 pupils and seven teachers, including a principal, were taken during the attacks.
During the attack, a teacher, Joel Adesiyan, was killed while attempting to escape.
Another teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded in the kidnappers’ den.
The terrorists holding the victims had reportedly made a four-point demand before agreeing to free the captives, including the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related law.
The Oyo State Government had consistently maintained that no ransom would be paid to secure the release of any victims.
The incident had triggered weeks of public anguish, with the Nigeria Union of Teachers embarking on a month-long strike in the state to press for the victims’ rescue before suspending the action in July.
It also drew federal intervention, with military and police authorities repeatedly assuring Nigerians that operations to secure the victims’ freedom were ongoing.
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