The report that the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will deploy personnel in critical infrastructure and facilities in response to the nationwide protest organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress in solidarity with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities taking place on Tuesday dominates the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Punch reports that the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps will deploy personnel in critical infrastructure and facilities in response to the nationwide protest organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress in solidarity with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities taking place on Tuesday.
As security agencies moved to deploy their men and officers, the Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday directed workers in state capitals and Abuja to join the protest.
A top source at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, confirmed to The PUNCH on Monday that police operatives would be deployed in all protest venues nationwide to prevent a security breach or attack on the participants by thugs.
The police source said, “Of course, we will deploy our men; that is standard procedure. Our duty is to ensure the safety of lives and property during any public protest or rally. We can’t stop the unions or other Nigerians from holding rallies or peaceful protests.’’
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, declined comment on the deployment but the Commissioners of Police in Ebonyi and Gombe and the police spokespersons in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Plateau, Ogun, Osun and Gombe confirmed to our correspondents that their men would be at the rally grounds.
Also, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence spokesperson, Shola Odumosu, said armed and unarmed personnel would be on the ground to protect the protesters and Nigerians.
The NLC had said the protest would hold at all the state capitals today, while the mega rally would take place in Abuja on Wednesday to pressure the Federal Government to meet ASUU’s demands.
About 40 NLC affiliates, including aviation, bank, oil and gas, electricity and construction workers are expected to participate in the protest.
The newspaper says that Nigerians spent $378.77 million on foreign education between January and May 2022, The PUNCH reports.
The figure is contained in data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria, calculated based on the data provided on the amount spent on educational service under the sectoral utilisation for transactions valid for foreign exchange.
In January 2022, the apex bank noted that a total of $60,202,730.84 was spent on foreign education, while noting that $69.9m was spent in February 2022.
In March 2022, there was a significant increase as the bank said $87.26 million was spent.
In April, the figures dropped a little as a total of $78.62 million was recorded by the apex bank.
The figure for May 2022 was stated as $82.70 million, making a total of $378.77 million spent so far in 2022.
The PUNCH reports that education in Nigeria, especially in the tertiary education sector, has been marred by industrial actions by tertiary institution-based unions such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union.
The Guardian reports that Nigerians will pay more for bread as bakers in some states have announced price increases to cover high costs of production.
Kogi Master Bakers said on Sunday they were resuming production after weeks of strike but would increase prices.
The association had joined a nationwide strike declared by the national body to demand government intervention on prices of materials used in production.
“Although the Federal Government is yet to respond to our pleas and demands, we are satisfied that we have, at least, sent a message, hoping for a positive result,” Gabriel Bamidele-Adeniyi, Chairman, Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Kogi chapter, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Bamidele-Adeniyi said: “Unfortunately, as we resume production, prices of bread will definitely increase by 20 per cent. A loaf of N200 will cost between N240 and N250; that of N500 will cost N600; that of N600 will cost N750; N700 will cost N880 and that of N800 will sell for between N980 and N1,000.
“We want the public to know that the new increment is not our making but that of the increase in the prices of commodities we use in production.
“We want the government to see to it that prices of yeast, sugar and flour being imported are drastically reduced. Only three companies have the licence to import them. Unfortunately, these three firms are monopolising the prices of sugar, yeast and flour to the detriment of bakers in Nigeria.”
The newspaper says that a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to Nigeria led by the Director, Second African Regional Technical Assistance Centre in West Africa (AFRITAC West 2), Eva Jenkner, las week, visited the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) during which the discussed areas of technical support for the Fiscal Year 2023/2024 Work Plan.
A statement by the commission said a roundtable discussion was held between the visiting IMF officials and its management on the technical assistance needs required for the next two years.
Briefing the visitors, the Chairman of the Commission, Victor Muruako, recalled the Commission received valuable support from the IMF West 2 mission in terms of staff capacity building held virtually in April.
The chairman, who was represented by the Director of Administration, Muhammed Zailani, said the training highlighted, among other important issues, the role of the Commission as an independent fiscal institution, a watchdog or an external evaluator in the country’s fiscal space.
On their part, the IMF team reiterated the AFRITAC West 2’s readiness to support the Commission in undertaking the important work. They said transparency and accountability are the critical considerations in the Fund’s interventions.
Other issues touched on in the course of the discussion include the Commission’s working relationship with the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Finance and other relevant government agencies.
The AFRITAC West 2 – a collaborative effort between the IMF, recipient countries and several bilateral and multilateral partners – was set up to provide capacity-building support in six West African countries. The countries are Cape Verde, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
The Nation reports that confusion is building up in the air transport industry as the Federal Government is consolidating efforts to fix abandoned airside infrastructure in the strategic sector.
The move by the government to address gaps in deficit air navigation and airport facilities is, however, not going down well with the potential users of such equipment.
Indigenous operators under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have kicked over the modalities for the 90-day closure of the Runway 18 Left of the Lagos Airport, accusing the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of not carrying its members along on the procedure of operations before it shut the facility on July 8, this year.
Before repairs of the runway commenced last week, the facility had been abandoned for 14 years for reasons bordering on approval and procurement challenges by the supervising Federal Ministry of Aviation.
The runway was last renovated in 2008, but the airfield lighting component was not incorporated. But the contractors rolled out their equipment last week to carry out major repairs in the facility, which when completed, would reduce cost of operations for local carriers.
FAAN’s Managing Director, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, attributed the delay to approval processes. Worried over the runway closure, AON in a letter to FAAN berated the authority for closing the runway of the Lagos Airport without considering the huge cost implications on affected airlines.
GIK/APA