The report that Nigerian Government, on Wednesday, declared that it would withdraw the operating licences of power distribution companies that were intentionally not supplying electricity to consumers across the country, leading to widespread blackouts in Nigeria is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Thursday.
The Punch reports that the Federal Government, on Wednesday, declared that it would withdraw the operating licences of power distribution companies that were intentionally not supplying electricity to consumers across the country, leading to widespread blackouts in Nigeria.
It stated that despite efforts by the Federal Ministry of Power and electricity generating companies, some Discos were not distributing the power supplied to them by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, which had resulted in abysmal supply since this year.
Power supply across the country has been terrible since January 2024, as many towns and cities nationwide have been thrown into darkness for weeks due to the lack of electricity.
In a post on his official X handle on Wednesday, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, lamented the poor supply of electricity across the country, stressing that this was despite efforts by the government in tackling the challenge.
He, however, pointed out that findings by his ministry revealed that some power distribution companies were willfully not distributing electricity to end users in their various franchise areas.
Adelabu said, “It is disheartening to witness the decline in power supply despite the concerted efforts to improve the situation. The ministry has been exerting pressure on the generating companies to enhance their performance, resulting in a recent increase in generation to over 4,000MW.
“Despite this progress, certain distribution companies are failing to adequately distribute the power supplied by TCN, while vandalism of power infrastructure exacerbates the problem in regions such as Abuja, Benin, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan.
The newspaper says that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has said the N22.7tn printed by the Central Bank of Nigeria through Ways and Means overdraft for the Federal Government from 2015 to 2023, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, threw the country into the current inflation.
Edun, who made the lamentation on Wednesday during an interface with the Senate Committee on Finance, said during the period, the printing of naira in trillions was carried out without any corresponding productive activities.
According to him, the consequence of the eight years of printing money without productivity is the high inflation confronting the country now.
The Senate had two weeks ago resolved to probe the N30tn Ways and Means overdraft obtained and spent by the Buhari administration.
It further stated that the alleged reckless spending of the overdraft collected from the CBN under Godwin Emefiele largely accounted for the food and security crises facing the country.
The Red Chamber then resolved to set up an Ad -hoc committee, to investigate the overdraft because the details of the spending were deliberately not made available to the National Assembly.
The Vanguard newspaper reports that the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawlle, has directed the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) to go after all the propagators calling for truncation of the constitutional government in the country, describing them as criminals and enemies of democracy who should be brought to justice.
According to the Minister, “some mischief makers posted viral videos and inciting statements on the media depicting a false situation and impression and encouraging the military to truncate the constitution, which they will never do because they have been aligned with democratic culture, which makes coups no longer fashionable.
“Just because criminal elements attacked a warehouse and a haulage vehicle carrying food items to other parts of the country is not enough reason for unpatriotic individuals to resort to calling for military intervention, which has no place in modern realities.”
He described those calling for the undemocratic change of government as “agents of darkness.”
Matawalle’s directive was contained in a statement signed by Mr Henshaw Ogubike, Director of Press and Information, MOD, titled, “Democracy is Working in Nigeria, Warns those Calling for Truncation of Constitutional Government.
According to the statement, “The Minister warned coup mongers calling for the unconstitutional change of government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to desist from their inglorious calling, warning that the government would not treat those behind it with kid gloves.
The newspaper says that the Ministers of Health from African countries with the highest burden of malaria committed today to accelerated action to end deaths from the disease.
This is contained in a statement issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday.
The ministers, gathering in Yaoundé, Cameroon, signed a declaration committing to provide stronger leadership and increased domestic funding for malaria control programmes.
They also pledged to ensure further investment in data technology, apply the latest technical guidance in malaria control and elimination, and enhance malaria control efforts at the national and sub-national levels.
The ministers also pledged to sustainably and equitably address the threat of malaria in the African region, which accounts for 95 per cent of malaria deaths globally.
In the declaration, the ministers further pledged to increase health sector investments to bolster infrastructure, personnel, and programme implementation; to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration; and to build partnerships for funding, research, and innovation.
In signing the declaration, they expressed their “unwavering commitment to the accelerated reduction of malaria mortality” and to hold each other and our countries accountable for the commitments outlined in this declaration.
The Yaoundé conference, co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Cameroon, gathered ministers of health, global malaria partners, funding agencies, scientists, civil society organisations, and other principal malaria stakeholders.
GIK/APA