The leader of the Biafra Republic Government In-Exile, BRGIE, Mr Simon Ekpa, has disputed claims by the South-East governors and the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, that they are responsible for the decision of the people of the zone to shun the hunger protests.
Ekpa spoke in a statement posted on X on Thursday.
TVN reports that governors Peter Mba, Enugu, Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra, and Hope Uzodinma, Imo, alongside Umahi, took responsibility for the decision of the Igbos to shun the protests.
However, Ekpa urged the people to disregard Mbah, Soludo, Uzodinma and Umahi’s claims.
He noted that the decision not to join the protest was because of the peoples’ commitment to the actualization of Biafra’s liberation from Nigeria.
Ekpa claimed it was BRGIE that called for the non-participation of Biafrans in the protests, adding that it recorded 100 percent compliance in the region.
“We call on Biafrans to disregard the claims of the politically corrupt leaders representing Nigeria within Biafra territory.
“The nationwide protest has shown that Biafrans rejected Nigeria.
“They are insinuating that they were responsible for Biafran citizens not participating in a civil movement currently ongoing in Nigeria tagged #endbadgovernance protest, which is outside the Biafra territory.
“It laughable that the likes of Soludo, Mbah, Uzodinma and David Umahi were seen in a video, attempting to appear relevant, spreading propaganda through the media.
“The nonparticipation of Biafrans is evidence that the Biafra government has succeeded in achieving delegitimizing within Biafra territory.
“Their responsibility has always been to maintain the continuous subjugation of Biafrans through their actions, activities and utterances in exchange for fame and relevancy.
“Biafrans should disregard them and their false notion but closely monitor as they continue to expose themselves and their various tactics of manipulation and deception.
“The Biafra Government called for no Nigeria protest within Biafra territory and it recorded 100% compliance, not the illegitimate corrupt Nigeria representatives that have been served with a vote of no confidence.
“The Biafran Government will continue its ceaseless efforts towards the actualization of Biafra Independence.
“We will lock down the entire Nigeria government institutions for one month and you will see compliance from these corrupt politicians too,” Ekpa said in the post.
Recall that the hunger protest, which started last week Thursday in many states in Nigeria and is expected to end on Saturday, August 10, 2024, was boycotted by the people of the South-East.
Protests: You’re not responsible for non-participation of South-East – Ekpa slams govs, Umahi
Protests: You’re not responsible for non-participation of South-East – Ekpa slams govs, Umahi
Capital import, diaspora remittance boost FX flows by 55% in six months —CBN
The Central Bank of Nigeria has disclosed that capital importation and diaspora remittances have boosted the net foreign exchange flows into the country which has increased to $25.4bn in the first six months of 2024.
This marks a 55 per cent increase from the figure recorded year-over-year.
The apex bank noted that this development is an evidence that progress is being made as a result of its policy measures.
According to a statement from the apex bank on Thursday, it noted that this growth has been fueled by a rise in capital importation, which reached $6bn in June 2024, and record inflows from diaspora remittances through formal channels.
The statement read, “The CBN’s policy objectives are yielding tangible results and bolstering market confidence. Net foreign exchange flows rose to $25.4bn between January and June, marking a 55 per cent year-over-year increase.
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“This growth has been driven by a rise in capital importation, which reached $6bn in June 2024, and record inflows from diaspora remittances through formal channels.”
The CBN further noted that over $305m of foreign exchange has been sold to authorized dealers in the last three weeks through a two-way quote system, which has been deployed over the past few months to enhance liquidity in the interbank market.
According to the statement, the CBN offered $876m to meet bids submitted by customers during an auction concluded on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
This was done through the Retail Dutch Auction System, which is designed to facilitate FX sales to end users directly, promoting a more transparent market, reducing information asymmetry, and aiding in price discovery.
By: Babajide Okeowo
The post Capital import, diaspora remittance boost FX flows by 55% in six months —CBN appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
‘I will deal with you’ – Security operative attached to Bauchi gov threatens journalists
Security operatives attached to Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, threatened journalists while they were performing their duties on Thursday.
TVN reports that members of the Bauchi Correspondents’ Chapel were at the Palace of the Emir of Katagum during the governor’s visit to the local government, following a violent protest in which the Council Secretariat in Azare was set ablaze by hoodlums.
Some of the members of the chapel were threatened as they were attempting to record the governor’s speech. One of the operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, identified only as Abdul, ordered the journalists to vacate the hall.
However, as the journalists searched for an alternative spot to continue their work, Abdul approached them again, issuing a threat: “This is just the beginning,” he warned.
The governor, who was seated alongside other dignitaries, including the Emir of Katagum, observed the exchange.
“You challenged me? You will see. This thing that you have done, this is the beginning,” Abdul continued, leaving witnesses in the palace stunned.
When one of the journalists remarked that his words sounded like a threat, Abdul reiterated his intention to “deal with” the journalists.
“He once molested me at a function. He is quite aggressive,” said a journalist attached to the Government House Press Crew, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity.
TVN gathered that security personnel attached to the Government House had, last week, brutalised a person living with disability, identified as Hamza Waziri, who is now hospitalized at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi.
Waziri was participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest in front of the Government House when he was assaulted by four police officers. The incident was captured in a trending video clip.
Similarly, Aisha Dogara, a Bauchi resident who equally participated in the same protest, was assaulted and had her clothes torn, with visible bruises all over her body.
‘I will deal with you’ – Security operative attached to Bauchi gov threatens journalists
Kano urges business community to consider plight of residents
Concerned about the inflation following the relaxation of the imposed curfew in the state, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has convened an interactive meeting with the business community to find solutions to halt this troubling trend.
This was stated in a communiqué from the governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Tofa, a copy of which was made available to The According on Thursday.
Speaking at the meeting, Yusuf reported that within hours of relaxing the curfew, the prices of basic commodities, especially staple foods, had skyrocketed to an unimaginable level.
He emphasised that the situation necessitates all stakeholders working together for effective control.
Yusuf called on the business community to consider the plight of the people, particularly during this trying time of nationwide protests that have affected the economy of thousands of households.
“I want to draw your attention to the plight of the people, especially during this trying period of nationwide protests which have affected the economy,” Yusuf was quoted as saying.
He elaborated on the state government’s initiatives in providing various empowerment programmes, palliatives, and other economic policies aimed at reviving Kano’s commercial buoyancy and maintaining its position as the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria.
The governor urged businessmen to unite and revive the moribund industries across the state, proposing the establishment of a Price Control Board with their cooperation to address the artificial inflation created by unscrupulous traders for selfish interests.
He assured the business community of his readiness to arrange an interactive engagement with the parliamentarians from the state to create a forum supporting businesses and industries in Kano.
He encouraged them to ensure sanitation and security in markets and to conduct their businesses in line with modern practices, assuring them of the government’s support in elevating the state to greater heights.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi RiminGado, reported that the agency had received 156 complaints within the last two days regarding the soaring prices of basic commodities in the state.
“Within the last two days, we received no fewer than 156 complaints about the flagrant increase in prices of essential commodities,” he said.
He, however, pledged a collaborative working relationship with the business community to ensure stable business interactions in the state.
UK PM vows to stop far-right riots
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Thursday not to ease efforts to prevent further far-right riots in English towns and cities, following a night of anticipated street violence that failed to materialise.
Despite a largely peaceful Wednesday evening, Starmer announced he would chair another emergency meeting of senior ministers and police leaders later on Thursday to prepare for potential unrest in “the coming days.”
He also noted that the criminal justice system would continue “working speedily” to convict those already arrested during a week of near-nightly riots across England and Northern Ireland.
A judge in Liverpool, northeast England, has sentenced several more participants in the violence, which has seen mosques and migrant-related facilities attacked alongside police and other targets.
“It’s important that we don’t let up here,” Starmer told media outlets as he visited a mosque and met community leaders in Solihull, western England.
“That’s why later today, I’ll have another meeting with law enforcement and senior police officers to reflect on last night and plan for the coming days.”
Starmer credited “police deployed in numbers in the right places, giving reassurance to communities” with helping to ease the unrest overnight.
Instead of the rumoured far-right gatherings at numerous sites linked to immigrant support services, thousands of anti-racism and anti-fascism protesters took to the streets.
They gathered in significant numbers, holding rallies in cities including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and Newcastle.
“Whose streets? Our streets!” thousands chanted in Walthamstow, northeast London, where hundreds of pro-Palestine supporters joined the rally under a heavy police presence.
However, Northern Ireland experienced another night of disturbances—its fourth in a row. There were five arrests, and a police officer was injured during the disorder in Belfast.
The UK government had placed 6,000 specialist police on standby across England to address potential flashpoints after far-right social media channels called for attacks on immigration-linked sites.
The violence has been fuelled by misinformation spread on social media about the suspected perpetrator of a knife attack on July 29, which killed three children.
London’s Metropolitan Police chief, Mark Rowley, who deployed thousands of officers onto the streets of the capital on Wednesday, said he was “really pleased” with how the police and local communities had responded to the riots.
“I think the show of force from the police—and, frankly, the show of unity from communities—defeated the challenges we’ve seen,” he told UK broadcasters.
Rowley noted that while there had been a small number of arrests due to “some local criminals” engaging in anti-social behaviour, fears of “extreme-right disorder were abated.”
‘Sowing Hatred’
On Thursday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan thanked the “heroic police force working round the clock” and “those who came out peacefully to show London stands united against racism and Islamophobia.”
“And to those far-right thugs still intent on sowing hatred and division: you will never be welcome here,” he added on X.
Courts began on Wednesday to issue jail terms for offenders linked to the unrest as authorities sought to deter further disorder.
The unrest, Britain’s worst since the 2011 London riots, has led to hundreds of arrests and at least 120 charges and prompted several countries to issue travel warnings for the UK.
London police said on Thursday that officers had made 10 further arrests overnight, a week after protests outside Downing Street in Westminster turned violent.
Rowley, who joined the dawn raids, said those arrested “aren’t protestors, patriots, or decent citizens.”
“They’re thugs and criminals,” he noted, adding that most had previous convictions for weapon possession, violence, drugs, and other serious offences.
The riots erupted after three girls—aged nine, seven, and six—were killed and five more children critically injured during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, northwest England.
False rumours spread on social media claimed the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.
The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales. UK media reports that his parents are from Rwanda, which is overwhelmingly Christian.
AFP
Two suspects arrested in Austria as Taylor Swift cancels concert due to terror threats
Authorities in Vienna, the capital of Austria have arrested no fewer than two suspects for planning to use knives or homemade explosives outside Taylor Swift concerts.
Austrian officials report they discovered chemical substances and technical gadgets in the home of the 19-year-old suspect arrested in connection with an apparent plot to assault an event in the Vienna area.
They also verified that they discovered Islamic State and al-Qaida materials in the second suspect’s residence.
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According to security sources, the suspects planned to use knives or homemade explosives in the failed attack outside of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Austria.
Security operatives stated that the 19-year-old suspect admitted to his attack preparations and that he was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State” and believed “it is right to kill infidels.”
“He said he intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of Austria’s domestic intelligence agency.
“His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert, either today or tomorrow.”
The post Two suspects arrested in Austria as Taylor Swift cancels concert due to terror threats appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Hunger: Nigerian Govt suspends plan to sell 50kg bags of rice to civil servants
The Federal Government has suspended the plan to sell subsidised 50kg bags of rice to civil servants for N40,000.
Leadership reports that the decision was made known in a circular titled, ‘Withdrawal of Internal Circular on Sale of Subsidized Rice to Public Servants’, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs (Human Resources Management Department).
The circular was addressed to Directors and Heads of Departments.
“I am directed to refer to our internal circular in the Ministry (Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs) of 1st August, 2024 on the above subject matter and to inform you that the Internal Circular is hereby withdrawn.
“Further details will be communicated in due course. Please bring the contents of this internal circular to the attention of staff in your respective Departments and Units for their information and proper guidance,” the circular reads.
The previous memo from the Ministry, dated August 1, and signed by Mrs Jaiyesim Abimbola Aderonke, Director of Human Resource Management, had outlined the procedure for civil servants to purchase the rice.
However, no reason was provided for withdrawal of the plan, which certainly will leave many civil servants who had registered for the subsidised rice in a state of uncertainty.
TVN recalls that the initial plan was announced by the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, stating that the government intended to mitigate the effects of the current food crisis by offering 50kg bags of rice at a subsidised rate to civil servants in Abuja.
Hunger: Nigerian Govt suspends plan to sell 50kg bags of rice to civil servants
Nigeria’s budget far below Indonesia’s, Brazil’s — Bagudu
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, has said that Nigeria’s federal budget is $20 billion, which lags behind the budgets of other populous countries such as Indonesia and Brazil.
The minister made this statement during his address at the launch of ActionAid Nigeria’s Country Strategy Paper, themed “Citizens’ Action Against Poverty and Injustice (2024-2034),” in Abuja on Thursday.
“The federal budget of Indonesia is about $210 billion. The federal budget of Brazil is about $700 billion and has been at that level for a while — for upwards of a decade. Nigeria’s federal budget is currently about $20 billion, with the highest it has reached being around $35 billion.
“Do we want to be like Brazil? Or do we want to be like Indonesia? Can we hope to achieve what they have with that level of federal spending? Or should we confront this reality? Confronting our reality is akin to gathering the family around and reminding everyone that we are not as wealthy as we think we are. Maybe new energy will come into the family, and the sense of entitlement will give way to ‘What can I do? What effort can I contribute?’” he said.
Bagudu called for collective action from both citizens and the government to address what he described as “decades of under-investment” in the country, adding that citizens must engage with the government at all levels to seek improvements.
“And this is where we are now. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu felt that consistent with what is done by other countries and even sub-nationals, and without blaming any leader, we must conclude that we are not where we want to be.
“This situation is not the result of any one person’s effort but rather cumulative decades of under-investment. We must address this issue, and in doing so, everyone matters,” the Minister stated.
In his address, the Country Director of ActionAid, Andrew Mamedu, spoke on the importance of the Strategy Paper, noting that if the current poverty situation in the country is not addressed, it could affect future generations.
“As you may know, nearly 12 per cent of the global population was living in extreme poverty in 2023, and this figure has worsened due to ongoing conflicts, wars, and disasters around the world. In Nigeria, where the poverty threshold is $1.90 a day (about 3000 using the official rate), 133 million of our 200 million people are multidimensionally poor.
“This means they not only lack financial resources but also access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and clean water. If you are not among the 133 million, it is likely that your family members—extended or nuclear—are.
If we do not address this now, future generations may face the same plight. Hope and belief are not strategies; they must be accompanied by action. This is the essence of our CSP,” he said.
More intrigues as IPMAN says petrol landing cost is over N1,200; Govt subsidizing by over N700
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has again drawn attention to the issue of subsidy on petroleum products in Nigeria.
The body confirmed the return of fuel subsidy by disclosing that the landing cost per litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is over N1,200.
Yet, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited sells to marketers at about ₦565 or so which indicates that there is a subsidy of almost ₦600 to ₦700 as of now.
The National Operations Controller, IPMAN, Zarama Mustapha, made this known on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.
“Right now, the landing cost of PMS is over ₦1,200, without the margin of the marketers, transportation and other logistics.”
“NNPC sells to marketers at ₦565 or so. That means there is a subsidy of almost ₦600 to ₦700 as of now.
“Whether they (government officials) say there is subsidy or there is not subsidy, the fact on the ground clearly states that there is something they are under-recovering.”
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The IPMAN official also blamed policy inconsistency for the frequent petrol queues in the country, saying about half of independent marketers are almost out of business because of the forex volatility.
He said petrol marketers spend more than three times the amount they used to purchase one tanker pre-subsidy removal.
“Looking at the need to be in business in the deregulation era, more than 50 or 60% of our members are almost out of business because of the capital involved. Once you cannot get the capital involved, you cannot sustain the business.
“For most of our members, what they used to buy one truck, they need about five or six times that value of capital to buy one truck today. Once you cannot get the capital involved, you cannot sustain the business.”
On the directive by the President that the NNPCL sell crude to Dangote Refinery and modular refineries in naira, the IPMAN official said, “It’s just the currency but whatever they are going to sell in naira is going to be calculated based on the FX rate.
“The point is that it will reduce the demand on the pressure on the naira. Naira will be chasing the dollar, obviously. So, the volume of demand of dollars is going to drastically reduce which will give some kind of value and appreciation to our currency.”
By: Babajide Okeowo
The post More intrigues as IPMAN says petrol landing cost is over N1,200; Govt subsidizing by over N700 appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Cultists kill one in Bayelsa
There was panic in the Slaughter area of the Swali Ultra Modern Market in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, as cultists reportedly killed a yet-to-be-identified young man on Wednesday.
An eyewitness reported that the cultists were targeting the deceased’s younger brother but shot him instead as he was shielding his sibling.
“He and his younger brother were there when the assailants arrived and stated they were looking for his younger brother. But he said, ‘Not this one,’ and pushed him behind. So, they shot him in the chest.
“People started running, and they called the police. The officers came to remove the body,” the eyewitness said.
It is not yet clear which cult group carried out the attack.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, has yet to respond to the situation despite calls and text messages from our correspondent.
Our correspondent reports that the Slaughter area has been a frequent target for cult groups who regularly terrorise traders and customers.
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