Press highlights warning against politicisation of matters bordering on security of life, property, others

According to them, politicisation of insecurity will not do the nation any good but aggravate the already fragile situation in the country.

They gave the warning at a one-day ‘Retreat on Inclusive Security’ organised by the Global Peace Foundation, in collaboration with Vision Africa in Abuja.

They appealed to the nation’s elite to refrain from comments that could widen the “gulf of trust deficit amongst the many divides” that make up the country, saying that Nigeria’s survival as a nation should be considered sacred.

Speaking, Obasanjo said military action alone would not effectively end insecurity, adding that government must embrace the carrot and stick approach in addressing the menace.

He said: “People talk of political will, but I talk of political action. Political will is not enough. It must be matched by political action.

“The problem of insurgency will not go away if all we are using is the ‘stick’ (military action). We may suppress it, and keep it down a bit, but we have to use ‘carrot and stick’ together to effectively tackle the problems.”

The Sultan, who lamented the recent spate of insecurity in the country, said that lives should be considered sacred and that the leaders should rather be circumspect than carrying on as though all is well.

“It’s unfortunate that this is what we are seeing across the land. Parties are accusing one another of not doing enough to tackle insecurity. I think that is the major problem we have been facing in the country,” the Sultan said.

The newspaper says that in an anti-climax of the sort, the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, which had been primed to affirm a retaliatory travel ban imposed last week on Nigeria by the United Kingdom (UK), Canada and Saudi Arabia, yesterday, deferred its pronouncement until its next meeting on Monday, December 20.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had at the weekend, made the disclosure that the Federal Government would place the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia, among others, on a red list, banning both airlines and their citizens from coming into the country to reciprocate the earlier ban on Nigerians over the spread of Omicron.

The sanction, which had been recommended to the PSC by the Ministry of Aviation, was to take effect today; but at its weekly briefing yesterday, the PSC said it was working with mandate ministries to address the issues surrounding the restriction imposed by some countries on travellers from Nigeria.

Chairman of the PSC and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said: “While each country is entitled to put in place measures to protect its citizens, Nigeria has similar responsibilities.

 However, based on existing relationships, Nigeria has initiated diplomatic steps to make these countries reverse their course. This is ongoing in the interest of all parties concerned and we expect that positive results would emerge within the next one week.”

Represented by the Aviation Minister, Sirika, the SGF said the PSC also evaluated the developments on the relationship between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) “and we are pleased to inform you that the position of the Federal Government is in line with established ICAO Protocols and the spirit of the BASA signed with the UAE.

“Our sovereignty remains paramount and mutual respects shall be our guiding principle in as much as it should be in the best interest of Nigeria. The PSC will at its next regular briefing on Monday, December 20, brief you fully on developments.”

The diplomatic row between Nigeria and UAE took a new twist yesterday, as the UAE reportedly banned foreign airlines from airlifting Dubai-bound Nigeria passengers.

The Punch reports that the Federal Government has indicated the possibility of introducing new taxes, tariffs and levies as part of measures to shore up its revenue.

This is just as the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has said it is closely following the legal tussle instituted by some states against the Federal Government on collection and sharing of revenue from Value Added Tax to determine its next policies.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said these at the public hearing on the 2021 Finance Bill organised by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Finance in Abuja on Monday.

Ahmed, in a paper she presented to the committee, stated, “Nigeria must diversify its revenues from oil to fund critical expenditures.”

The minister noted as of September, the Federal Government’s retained revenue was N4.56tn, achieving 75 per cent of budget, while the government’s share of oil revenues was N845bn representing 56.3 per cent pro-rated performance and non-oil revenues share was N1.31tn or 117.3 per cent above budget.

 

Monthly IGR grew by 7,400% in 22 years, says Lagos – The Lagos State Government said on Monday that its Internally Generated Revenue grew by 7,400 per cent between 1999 and 2021.

The newspaper says that the NNPC to halt rising cooking gas price, increases supply. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, on Monday announced that NNPC was currently increasing the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly called cooking gas, in a bid to force down its price.

Kyari, who announced this at the inauguration of a 120-metric tonnes LPG storage and bottling plant by Emadeb Energy Services Limited in Abuja, however, explained that the hike in cooking gas price was an international issue. The cost of LPG has been rising since this year, jumping by more than 240 per cent between January and October 2021, a development that has forced many LPG users to shift to charcoal or firewood.

Commenting on the hike in LPG price, while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event in Abuja, Kyari said, “Two things are in play. “One is the supply in the international market of gas. It moves with the price of every other petroleum product including crude oil and its derivatives.

“So definitely, it is a reflection of what is happening in the international market. However, what we are doing is to increase supply and once supply increases, price will come down.”

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Emadeb Energy Services, Mr. Adebowale Olujini, urged the government to support LPG investors considering the cost required to invest in the sector.

ThisDay reports that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has solicited the support of organised labour and civil society organisations in the country for its ongoing enlightenment campaign on its five-year policy trust aimed at growing the nation’s economy.

Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara state capital during a one-day interactive enlightenment session with organised Labour and civil societies in the North central zone and FCT, Abuja, Mr. Emefiele said the CBN has embarked on various policies and interventions that had helped to stimulate the economic growth of the country.

The development, he added, has also increase the economic activities among the people of the country, which hitherto has lifted up many businesses.

Emefiele who was represented at the event by the Director, Corporate Communications of the CBN, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi added that, “the CBN’s current effort to improve the economy prosperity has necessitated its 5-year policy thrust that need urgent enlightenment of all and sundry in the country so as to join hands with the programme.”