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Buy me out, Dangote offers to sell refinery to NNPC

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Buy me out, Dangote offers to sell refinery to NNPC

The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has made an offer to sell the Dangote Refinery to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Premium Times on Sunday, the businessman expressed his willingness to sell the refinery to address allegations of monopoly in the industry.

He stated that if the NNPCL takes over the refinery, the allegations of monopoly would no longer be valid.

“Let them (NNPCL) buy me out and run the refinery the best way they can. They have labelled me a monopolist. That’s an incorrect and unfair allegation, but it’s OK. If they buy me out, at least, their so-called monopolist would be out of the way.

“We have been facing fuel crisis since the 70s. This refinery can help in resolving the problem but it does appear some people are uncomfortable that I am in the picture. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, run the refinery,” Premium Times quoted him as saying.

This is coming after the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, made claims that the Dangote refinery had requested the regulator to stop giving import licences to other marketers to be the only fuel supplier in Nigeria.

“We cannot rely heavily on one refinery to feed the nation, because Dangote is requesting that we should suspend or stop importation of all petroleum products, especially AGO and direct all marketers to the refinery, that is not good for the nation in terms of energy security. And that is not good for the market, because of monopoly,” Ahmed stated in a video interview with State House correspondents.

Ahmed also alleged that the refinery’s product is inferior.

“In terms of quality, currently the AGO quality in terms of sulphur is the lowest as far as the West African requirement of 50 ppm is concerned.

“Dangote refinery and some modular refineries, like Waltersmith refinery and Aradel refinery, they are producing between 650 to 1,200ppm. So, in terms of quality, their product is much more inferior to the imported quality,” he stated.

Dangote revealed to Premium Times that the challenges his refinery is currently facing have validated the warnings of his friends and associates, who advised him to exercise caution when investing billions of dollars in the Nigerian economy.

“As you probably know, I am 67 years old, in less than three years, I will be 70. I need very little to live the rest of my life. I can’t take the refinery or any other property or asset to my grave. Everything I do is in the interest of my country.

“This refinery can help in resolving the problem but it does appear some people are uncomfortable that I am in the picture. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, run the refinery. At least the country will have high-quality products and create jobs,” he said

The Dangote Refinery, which started operations last year after a prolonged construction period, has a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.

The refinery is aimed to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on foreign fuel imports and conserve foreign exchange.

Don’t protest in FCT, CP urges residents

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Don’t protest in FCT, CP urges residents

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, has called on residents and indigenes not to partake in the nationwide protest.

Some groups and citizens had scheduled a nationwide protest for August 1 in response to the economic hardship in the country.

However, the FCT CP, while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, urged residents to shun the protest.
He stated that the police have made significant efforts to ensure security in the FCT, adding that the protest could jeopardise it.

Igweh said, “I want to appeal specifically to the residents and indigenes and everybody in the FCT. Please, lions do not destroy their dens. You cannot see a lion who destroys its den. No, I would not like you to join this protest. I plead with you because we have worked hard to ensure your safety.

“We have fought those people outside Abuja. We have been to Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Niger to fight criminals so that you can be safe. I have lost men. Last week alone in Gidango, I lost two policemen. The other day, I lost two more. Let our loss pay for the protest. I want to plead with you.

“We don’t need you to be in the streets before somebody will say they are trying the police’s might. Or you will say, you will do this, you will do that. Please, please, don’t destroy where you are living.”

Igweh added that the government was doing its best by providing good roads.

“If you check, the government has provided good roads. Whether it’s from the minister of FCT or the president, check the streets in FCT, from Wuse to anywhere you can check, even in the hinterlands.

“They are trying their best. I don’t need to talk to anybody, but I’m saying it because we have been in the FCT. We know when there are changes. There are changes now in the FCT.

“And we don’t want miscreants outside the FCT to come and start destroying them. We will go back to square one where we were before. I plead, I beg of you, do not join this protest,” he added.

He urged the FCT residents to ensure the nation’s capital remains safe by shunning the protest.

“Let us continue collectively to make the FCT safe. Let them go and do what they want to do. But not with us.

“Act maturely. Act maturely. Act like people who appreciate. Even the losses we have suffered to ensure your safety. Use it to appreciate us. If you do this, we will be happy. We will continue to provide security for you. God bless all of you,” he said.

Firm seeks N590m to boost operations through commercial paper

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Firm seeks N590m to boost operations through commercial paper

SKLD Integrated Services Limited unveiled its Series 10 and 11 commercial paper issuances to raise N590m.

It disclosed in a statement on Monday that the issuance, facilitated by Afrinvest Capital Limited, was still open and would close on July 24, 2024.

The Group Managing Director at Afrinvest West Africa Limited, Ike Chioke, noted that the move was part of SKLD’s strategy to secure short-term debt capital to enhance its operations and support its ambitious growth plans.

“Afrinvest Capital Limited is pleased to inform you that the Series 10 & 11 Commercial Paper Issuances of SKLD Integrated Services Limited (“SKLD” or “the Issuer” or “the Company”) of up to N590m is still open and scheduled to close on July 24, 2024,” he stated.

SKLD is a provider of educational and office supplies, branded products, garment manufacturing, and humanitarian aid procurement services in Nigeria.

He added that SKLD Relief collaborated with international humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and international NGOs, to supply essential kits for various intervention projects.

Ike added that SKLD had established partnerships with over 500 schools across 20 cities in Nigeria, providing uniforms through its flagship brand, Marcel Hughes Apparel.

Additionally, SKLD’s e-commerce platform, skit.ng serves a growing customer base of over 25,000 annually.

“The Skit Shop subsidiary boasts the largest retail network for back-to-school shopping, with annual revenues of N2.78bn in 2022 and N3.86bn in 2023 and has expanded its retail stores from three in 2020 to seven today.

“SKLD, through its Skit Shop subsidiary, has the largest retail network in the country for all things back-to-school shopping with annual revenue at N2.78bn and N3.86bn in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Skit Shop increased its retail stores from three in 2020 to seven today. These stores are located across commercial hubs in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt,” Ike noted.

He stated that the N590m sought through commercial paper issuance would be used to finance SKLD’s working capital requirements.

“SKLD is seeking to raise to N590m in short-term debt capital to finance its working capital requirements to further consolidate on its growth and operations and diversify its sources of finances,” he stated.

My friend who warned against investing in Nigeria now taunting me – Dangote

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My friend who warned against investing in Nigeria now taunting me – Dangote

The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has disclosed that his friend who earlier warned him against investing in Nigeria is now taunting him for ignoring his advice.

Dangote disclosed this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday just as reports quoted the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority as claiming that diesel from Dangote Refinery is of inferior quality.

“Four years ago, one of my very wealthy friends began to invest his money abroad. I disagreed with him and urged him to rethink his actions in the interest of his country.

“He blamed his action on policy inconsistencies and shenanigans of interest groups.

“That friend has been taunting me in the past few days, saying he warned me and that he has been proven right,” Dangote was quoted to have said.

He said he invested in the refinery to help solve a major issue in the country, wondering why some people were working against him.

He added, “As you probably know, I am 67 years old. In less than three years, I will be 70. I need very little to live the rest of my life. I can’t take the refinery or any other property or asset to my grave. Everything I do is in the interest of my country.’

“We have been facing a fuel crisis since the 70s. This refinery can help in resolving the problem but it does appear some people are uncomfortable that I am in the picture. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, run the refinery.

“This refinery can help in resolving the problem but it does appear some people are uncomfortable that I am in the picture. So I am ready to let go, let the NNPC buy me out, and run the refinery. At least the country will have high-quality products and create jobs.”

The 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery, which came to life last year after a decade of prolonged construction, cost $19 billion, more than double the initial estimate, promising to help wean Africa’s biggest oil producer off its reliance on fuel from overseas and save up 30 per cent of the total foreign exchange spent on importing goods.

On Sunday, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, said it was expecting fresh reports to confirm the real sulphur content of the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery as the company debunked claims of inferior fuel production.

The NMDPRA spokesman, George Ene-Ita, in an interview with The According, said the agency had done its job and would not engage in a media fight with anybody over the claims made by the NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, that Dangote’s diesel has more sulphur content than imported one.

According to Ene-Ita, the authority has about 15 engineers and scientists embedded in the Dangote refinery, whose fresh report about the refinery’s sulphur content will be out on Monday (today).

Africa’s richest man had earlier narrated how a cabal was blocking his moves to import crude and how it has been difficult to get products, slowing down operations.

But last week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said the Nigerian government was yet to license the Dangote refinery to begin operations in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the state House on Thursday, July 18.

According to Ahmed, the claims of ongoing efforts to scuttle the operations of Dangote refinery due to lack of supply of crude oil by International Oil Companies were not true, adding that the refinery was still at the pre-commissioning stage and has not been licensed yet.

Ahmed added that the diesel product of Dangote was below international standard, a claim which the businessman had refuted.

Enugu warns against enforcing sit-at-home

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Enugu warns against enforcing sit-at-home

The Enugu State Government, on Monday, warned those considering enforcing sit-at-home order in the state to refrain from doing so.

The warning was handed down after a meeting of the State Security Council meeting comprising heads of security agencies, held at the Government House in Enugu.

The council, chaired by the state governor Peter Mbah, addressed the issue of sit-at-home orders, emphasising the importance of maintaining law and order in the state.

The council members stressed that individuals have the right to go about their lawful business without interference.

This follows reports of a call for a sit-at-home by Simon Ekpa.

The state Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, who briefed newsmen shortly after the meeting said, there would be no ungoverned space in Enugu state.

He said, “We are just coming out of the Security Council meeting with the governor and with all the security chiefs in attendance. We took some strategic and critical decisions to ensure that security architecture in the state is further strengthened. We have to give the good people of the Enugu State security guarantee.

“We also resolved that sit-at-home remains an aberration in Enugu State. People should go about their lawful businesses. Any activities or actions by any person or persons that are inimical to the peace of the state, we assure you, they will be ruthlessly dealt with. Any person that disturbs their peace and business, sorry is his name.

“The morale of all the security forces is very high. There is confidence building. Our men are ready to crush any criminal that dares the peace of the state. We are further positioning the security forces in every corner of Enugu State. We will appear to the criminal elements like a ghost and deal with them like a ghost.

“I can assure you that His Excellency has motivated us. We have built the confidence of our men. We have drawn our operational order in line with security needs. We are not relenting on our efforts. People should go about their lawful businesses.”

Protest not solution to Nigeria’s challenges, says Jigawa gov

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Protest not solution to Nigeria’s challenges, says Jigawa gov

The Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, on Monday, said that the proposed nationwide protest slated for August 1, is not the solution to Nigeria’s current challenges.

The governor voiced out his opinion at a town hall meeting with 27 groups in Dutse.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Christian Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Students, among the groups, who participated in the meeting, disassociated themselves from the planned protest.

Namadi, who acknowledged the economic hardship in the country, regretted that it had brought so many uncertainties.

“But, protest is not the solution.

“There are many ways people could express their grievances; people are at liberty to display their grievances through protest under democratic dispensation, but that isn’t the most effective way to address the problems.

“The protest alone will not provide the solutions; people should turn to God, repent, seek for forgiveness and divine intervention on the challenges,” he said.

Namadi said that the government had been doing enough in terms of providing food items and other materials, including distribution of cash, to cushion the effect of the hardships at all levels of government.

The governor also reminded the people that the Federal Government had recently approved the importation of food items into the country for five months without import duty.

Namadi advised Nigerians to accept the hardships as a trial from God, adding that every Muslim believes in destiny whether good or bad.

The Police Commissioner in Jigawa, Tijjani Abdullahi, in a remark, warned those who insisted on participating in the proposed August 1 protest to have a second thought.

“The security agencies in the state are combat-ready to deal with anyone who wants to breach public peace and order,” he said.

Similarly, Brig.-Gen. Timilere Makintosh, the Commander, 26 Amoured Bridge Garrison, also expressed happiness over the peaceful coexistence in Jigawa and the leadership style of the governor which had contributed to the promotion of peace.

Retired Khadi Bashir Ahmad, who is the Chairman, Council of Ulama in Jigawa, said that the calamities and other related problems bedevilling the country were the results of sins committed by the people.

He said, “Sons rape mothers, a son was caught trying to kill his father. Young people are engaged in kidnappings and armed robbery all due to the influences of hard drugs and other substances.

“Citizens must quickly repent and seek God’s forgiveness and His intervention.”

CAN Chairman in Jigawa, Rev. Father Maurice Hassan, urged the government to do the needful by controlling the prices of commodities to prevent unpatriotic traders from raising prices without justification.

Hassan declared that CAN would not be part of the protest, adding that the association would support and promote peaceful coexistence among residents.

The CAN chairman also called on the government to find a lasting solution to the challenges in the country.

Also speaking, Mr Sunusi Maigatari, Chairman of the NLC in Jigawa, said that his group would not be part of the protest because the issue was not part of its agenda at the last National Working Committee meeting.

Chairman of NANS, Abdullahi Garba, also disassociated students from the planned protest and assured the governor that they would not allow any group, in whichever name, to destabilise the peaceful co-existence in Jigawa.

The Emir of Hadejia and Chairman of the Traditional Council of Rulers, Adamu Maje, in his remarks, expressed concern over hardships, insisting, however, that the protest was not the solution.

The traditional ruler said that the people in Jigawa were very peaceful and law-abiding citizens.

“If you see anyone protesting in Jigawa, that person or group of persons cannot be from the state,” he said.

Similarly, the Emir of Dutse, Muhammad Hameem, urged Nigerians to find other ways of presenting their grievances through rightful legal channels and not through such “undefined” protests.

NAN

Uganda opposition lawmakers remanded in prison ahead of Tuesday protests

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Uganda opposition lawmakers remanded in prison ahead of Tuesday protests

Three Ugandan opposition politicians were detained and remanded in prison on the eve of a banned anti-corruption march, police said Monday, with opposition leader Bobi Wine saying heavily armed security forces were besieging his party headquarters.

The action comes two days after President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly four decades, warned that Ugandans planning to take to the streets on Tuesday were “playing with fire”.

“The three members of parliament and seven other people have appeared in court today, charged with various offences and remanded to prison,” Uganda police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told AFP late Monday, without giving further details on the charges.

He identified the arrested legislators as Francis Zaake, Charles Tebandeke, and Hassan Kirumira — all members of the opposition National Unity Platform — and said they would appear in court on Thursday for their bail hearing.

The detentions came as protesters vowed to hold anti-graft rallies, inspired by anti-government rallies in neighbouring Kenya, on Tuesday.

“We are going ahead with the protest tomorrow regardless,” demonstrator Shamim Nambasa told AFP.

“There have been many promises made by government to fight corruption, all have failed to materialise.”

But Rusoke said that police will “not allow a demonstration that will risk peace and security of the country”.

He defended police and army officers’ presence around the Kampala headquarters of Wine’s NUP, saying it was “out of security concerns”.

“There was intelligence that there was to be a large crowd which had been mobilised to attend the press conference that could have led to disruptions of peace.”

Wine — real name Robert Kyagulanyi — told AFP earlier that his party’s headquarters in the Kavule suburb had been surrounded and was “under siege” by security forces before a planned party press conference.

“This was expected by the regime but we are not giving up on the struggle to liberate Uganda,” he said.

NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi said the three MPs were charged with traffic offences and obstructing police officers, charges they denied.

“They were taken to court late internally so that they could not secure bail and were all remanded to prison,” he said.

Ugandan authorities have frequently cracked down on the NUP and Wine, a pop star turned politician who challenged Museveni unsuccessfully in the last elections in 2021.

“As Ugandans march to parliament to protest tomorrow, they should be aware that the regime is ready to shed their blood to stay in power but this should not scare anyone,” Wine added.

– ‘Anarchic approach’ –

Tuesday’s march has been organised on social media by young Ugandans with the hashtag #StopCorruption.

“Some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots,” Museveni said in a televised address on Saturday.

“You are playing with fire.”

The anti-graft movement in Uganda has taken inspiration from anti-government demonstrations that have shaken neighbouring Kenya for more than a month, led largely by young Gen-Z Kenyans.

Rusoke said Ugandan police were seeking to dissuade protest organisers from taking “what we see as a potentially anarchic approach”.

“We reiterate our position that we shall not tolerate disorderly conduct.”

Graft is a major issue in Uganda, with several major scandals involving public officials, and the country is ranked a lowly 141 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index.

Earlier this year, the United States and Britain imposed sanctions on several Ugandan officials including parliamentary speaker Anita Among and two former ministers over alleged corruption.

The accusations relate to the theft of roofing materials destined for the poor under a government-funded project that was redirected to politicians and their families.

Currently, four legislators from Uganda’s ruling party and two senior civil servants are in custody for allegedly embezzling large sums of money meant to compensate farmers who lost property during the 1980s bush war that brought Museveni to power.

Meanwhile, Kenyan activists are vowing to continue their protest action against the government of President William Ruto, whom they are calling on to resign.

AFP

Court okays foreign medical trip for Kogi Chief of Staff, Bello

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Court okays foreign medical trip for Kogi Chief of Staff, Bello

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Monday, granted the request of Kogi State Chief of Staff, Ali Bello, to travel abroad for a medical check-up.

Egwuatu, while delivering the ruling on the motion on notice filed by Bello’s lawyer, Abubakar Aliyu (SAN), ordered the release of Bello’s passport to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for medical examination and consultation.

He ordered the deputy chief registrar of the court to release Bello’s travelling documents to him.

He said, “An order is made granting leave/permission to the 1st defendant/applicant to travel to the United Kingdom, i.e. London Centre for Advanced Cardiology, 3rd Floor, 19 Horley Street, London, for a series of follow-up cardiologic medical examination and consultation with his medical consultant between July 22 and September 10, 2024.

“An order is made releasing the 1st defendant/applicant’s international passport number B50027568 in the custody of Deputy Chief Registrar of this Court to the applicant to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom i.e, London Centre for Advanced Cardiology, 3rd Floor, 19 Harley, Street London, for series of follow-up cardiologic medical examinations and consultations with his personal medical consultant from July 22, 2024 and September 10, 2024.”

Egwuatu, however, added that Bello is to return the passport to the deputy chief registrar of the court on or before September 15, 2024.

Bello’s lawyer, Aliyu, in the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CR/573/2022, sought an order granting him permission to travel to the UK for a medical checkup.

In the application dated April 2 but filed on April 5, the applicant sought two reliefs and an order from the court to release his passport, which is in the custody of the deputy chief registrar of the court.

Bello said the purpose of the routine cardiologic follow-up was to review his medication and undergo cardiac tests scheduled for July each year and as required based on medical advice.

He said the court had, on two occasions, granted him leave to travel between August 2023 and December 2023. He traveled and returned the international passport to the court’s deputy chief registrar before the expiration of the time granted.

He, therefore, undertook to return the travel passport as he had always done if leave was granted upon his return.

He also promised to be law-abiding in the UK should his application be granted.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, however, opposed the application.

EFCC, in a five-paragraph counter affidavit deposed to by Abubakar Salihu Wara on April 19, 2024, argued that Bello had not filed any medical report before the court showing the health condition that necessitated the medical appointment.

EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), argued that Exhibit ‘A’ attached to the application did not disclose the email address of the sender and the receiver of the said medical appointment and had not exhibited anything to show that Exhibit ‘A’ emanated from London Centre for Advanced Cardiology.

He said Bello might tamper with the evidence in the charges against him if the application is granted.

Bello, in a further affidavit, disagreed with the EFCC’s submission.

Egwuatu, however, asked if Bello had placed enough material before the court to enable the court to grant the application.

He added that it is on record that “this court granted bail to the applicant.

“Since the grant of bail, he has not breached the terms of bail and has been coming to court to stand his trial.

“It is not controversial that this court had granted the applicant similar prayers on two previous occasions.

“Applicant’s depositions that ‘on the two occasions, I returned my International Passport to the Deputy Chief Registrar of this court was not denied by the respondent (EFCC).

“There is no evidence before this court that the applicant breached the terms of the grant or the terms of the bail granted to him.

“The grounds for opposing this application now by the prosecution are anchored on Paragraphs 4 (a) to (g) of the counter affidavit.

“I have examined these paragraphs vis-a-vis the response of the applicant,” he said.

Kamala Harris wins Pelosi’s support

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Kamala Harris wins Pelosi’s support

United States Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday won the crucial backing of Democratic heavyweight Nancy Pelosi to lead the party against Donald Trump in November after Joe Biden’s stunning exit from the 2024 race.

As the endorsements stacked up, the 59-year-old Harris made her first public appearance since Biden’s announcement in a ceremony at the White House, where she warmly praised the outgoing president’s “unmatched” achievements.

But while she steered away from any triumphalism, Harris will now feel she has one hand on the prize after securing former US House speaker Pelosi’s support.

“With immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future, I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States,” Pelosi, 84, said on X.

A flood of Democratic leaders have backed Harris as the party’s new candidate, building momentum for a lightning-fast coronation despite some calls for an open primary.

Biden, 81, endorsed Harris — the first female, Black and South Asian vice president in US history — as he dropped out of the race on Sunday, in the culmination of a crisis triggered by a disastrous performance at a debate with Trump.

Then came endorsements from former president Bill Clinton and a host of lawmakers, but notably ex-president Barack Obama has held off so far.

Donors have also rallied, pouring a record $81 million into Harris’s campaign in 24 hours after Biden stood aside.

The campaign claimed it was the largest one-day haul in presidential history — and that, among the 888,000 grassroots donors, some 60 percent were making their first 2024 contribution.

‘Unmatched’
In a strikingly symbolic moment, Harris hosted a ceremony for college athletes at the White House on Monday while Biden remained stuck in isolation with Covid at his Delaware beach house.

“Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history,” Harris said in her brief remarks on the White House South Lawn, as a light rain fell.

She then made a first trip to campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware — not far from Rehoboth Beach, where Biden has been nursing his Covid infection since last week.

Biden’s symptoms “have almost resolved completely,” his doctor said Monday, though the White House has not yet announced any events on his schedule this week.

A series of other top Democrats have backed Harris.

“Let’s win this,” posted Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

She must still win over some key hold-outs if she is to wrap up the nomination in time for the Democratic National Convention starting August 19, though it could happen as early as a remote ballot on August 1.

‘Threat to democracy’

Biden’s stunning withdrawal has completely upended the 2024 race, transforming a long slog between two unpopular elderly men into one of the most compelling in modern US history.

The move has jolted a demoralized party that Harris could now unify, and could give America its first female president.

It has also hit Republicans hard, with former president Trump, 78 — now the oldest presidential nominee in US history — having to completely retool a strategy that had been built around attacking Biden over his age and physical frailty.

Harris’s entry not only flips the age issue, but puts Trump — a convicted felon also found liable of sexual assault — up against a woman and former prosecutor.

Trump has seemed to find it hard to move on from Biden.

He launched a series of invective-filled social media posts after Biden quit, mocking the president’s age and saying he and Harris posed a “threat to democracy.”

Running mate J.D. Vance echoed that line of attack at a rally in Ohio Monday, telling supporters that Harris had the momentum because “elite Democrats got in a smoke-filled room and decided to throw Joe Biden overboard.”

“That is not how it works. That is a threat to democracy,” he said.

The challenges facing Harris remain daunting, with less than four months until election day.

The vice president has long suffered from poor approval ratings, and she is largely neck-and-neck with Trump in the polls that have looked at a direct match up.

AFP

Don’t chase businessmen away, Dele Momodu urges FG

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Don’t chase businessmen away, Dele Momodu urges FG

Social commentator and the publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, on Monday urged manager of Nigeria’s economy not to discourage both local and foreign business men from investing in the country.

He expressed concerns over the recent spat between the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority and the management of Dangote Refinery, saying the crisis is taking a toll on the owner, Aliko Dangote.

His concerns come in the wake of the Federal Government’s intervention into the lingering face-off.

Momodu raised the fear when he was featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics on Monday.

“It’s almost like it is a crime to be an investor in Nigeria. I saw the reports in the Financial Times, Bloomberg and others. It will not help Nigeria.

“I don’t know who has grudges to bear with him. He should call him into a bedroom. Let them go and settle it behind closed doors. We cannot afford to wash this dirty linen in public. It is going to boomerang for all of us. That is my attitude.

“I believe this man has invested so much in Nigeria, just like other people. We have a lot of good businessmen in Nigeria who are doing great things. We should encourage them and not allow them to run away. Now, he said one of his friends is laughing at him because he warned him not to put all his eggs in one basket.

“I have seen other countries where Dangote invested. I have been to his plants in Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania. I can see the effort those countries are making to accommodate him there. We should not chase our businessmen away.

“I am sure other business people in Nigeria are watching. They might say, ‘hey, if this can happen to Dangote, it can happen to me.’ And everybody will be scared. We should not create this panic. We can’t afford this at this time,” Momodu warned.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has reportedly convened a crucial meeting with key stakeholders, including businessman Aliko Dangote and NMDPRA leadership, to address the ongoing disputes affecting the supply of crude to the Refinery.

But Momodu insisted that it would be a shame for Nigeria to allow its oil sector players and stakeholders to be washing their ‘dirty linen’ in public while the world looks on.

He said, “The whole social media is awash and abuzz with the issue of this Dangote refinery issue. Instead of me rehashing what people are saying, let me just tell you my own solution. Mr President, in this season of anomie in Nigeria, you need all the friends you can get in the private sector.

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