The report of attack by suspected terrorists on the convoy of cars conveying the Presidency’s advance team of security guards, protocol and media officers, killing two policemen in the process dominates the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Wednesday.
The Punch reports that suspected terrorists on Tuesday, near Dutsinma, Katsina State, ambushed the convoy of cars conveying the Presidency’s advance team of security guards, protocol and media officers, killing two policemen in the process.
The Presidency officials were travelling to Daura ahead of the trip of the President, Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to his hometown for Sallah.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed the attack in a statement without confirming the casualty figure.
The statement titled “Gallant presidential guards repel attack on advance team ahead of President’s visit” read, “The Presidency has described as sad and unwelcome, the shooting incident near Dutsinma, Katsina State, at the convoy of cars carrying the Advance Team of security guards, protocol and media officers ahead of the President, Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to Daura for Sallah.
“The attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions but were repelled by the military, police and DSS personnel accompanying the convoy.
“Two persons in the convoy are receiving treatment for the minor injuries they suffered. All the other personnel, staff and vehicles made it safely to Daura.”
The newspaper says that the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Muhammad Barkindo, is dead. Barkindo died late Tuesday.
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, announced Barkindo’s death in a tweeted posted to his verified Twitter handle, @MKKyari, in the early hours of Wednesday.
“We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11pm yesterday 5th July 2022. Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, the NNPC, our country Nigeria, the OPEC and the global energy community. Burial arrangements will be announced shortly,” Kyari tweeted.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had, on Tuesday, honoured Barkindo, describing him as a worthy ambassador of the country, at the State House, Abuja
Reacting to Barkindo’s death, a former lawmaker in the eighth Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, tweeted to his Twitter page, “Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo, former GMD NNPC and until recently, @OPECSecretariat scribe, was honoured yesterday. He died 11 pm yesternight. May Allah grant him Aljanna firdausi. Amin. That is the ephemerality and transience of life.”
The Guardian reports that the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has predicted that the interest rate hike by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and rising energy costs will constrain the growth of the country’s economy in the third quarter (Q3) of this year.
The LCCI President, Dr Michael Olawale-Cole, said this at a media parley on the state of the Nigerian economy, held in Lagos, yesterday.
According to Olawale-Cole, the Chamber had pointed out earlier that rate hikes alone would not curb the inflationary pressures facing the economy, stressing the need to pay attention to supply-side support to reduce rising production costs caused by the high cost of energy and raw materials.
He argued that with the costs of diesel skyrocketing above N800/litre, Jet-A1 at N710/litre, and PMS selling above the government-regulated price of N165/litre, production costs would continue to rise, leading to a decline in manufacturing and increase in job losses.
Also, the LCCI President noted that the worsening security situation in many parts of the country, if not tackled, would continue to threaten agricultural production, manufacturing value chains and logistics.
Furthermore, he noted that the Chamber expects Nigeria to witness some fiscal challenges, occasioned by the country’s huge debt burden, accompanied by high debt servicing and heavy subsidy costs, warning of heightened fears of contracting output, constrained production, and recession risks.
“Sustaining the pace of recovery in 2022 and navigating through the growing uncertainties in the global economy requires well-coordinated fiscal and monetary policies in promoting growth-enhancing and confidence-building policies that would encourage private and foreign capital inflows into the economy,” Olawale-Cole said.
On food security, the LCCI boss said for Nigeria to be self-sufficient in food production, the country must boost its agricultural output sustainably and discourage dependence on imports, warning of a looming food scarcity, which would worsen the plight of the poor if nothing is done quickly.
The newspaper says that Electronic commerce platform, Jumia clocked 10 years of service in Nigeria and informed that in the last one decade, it directly employed over 1000 and more than 10,000 independent sales agents and over 350 third party logistics (3PL) partners.
At the event in Lagos, with the theme: ‘10 years together’, the eCommerce platform assured of improved services and further expansion into every part of the country.
In his opening remark, the Chief Executive Officer, Jumia Nigeria, Massimiliano Spalazzi, said, “It is a real pleasure to be celebrating our first 10-year anniversary today, I am very proud and emotional of what we achieved all together.
“We started from a small house in Lekki and we didn’t know what would have happened next, but we knew very well what we wanted to achieve, which today still stands as the number one company. Our aim is to improve people’s lives through the internet and enable our partners, vendors and logistics agencies to do better and do more business with customers.
“We are very proud of what we have built, thanks to our customers and employees. When we look at the next 10 years, we look with confidence. We want to focus more on customer needs and ensure we are adapting to the market demands.”
In her keynote address, Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Chinyere Almona, commended the company for revolutionising eCommerce in the country.
“It is great news today that the coming of Jumia into Nigeria 10 years ago, revolutionised and popularised e-commerce in Nigeria. The performance of Jumia, which is hinged on the philosophy of quality service delivery and value for money, has positioned the company in a leadership position and reference point within the industry.
Your impact on the Nigerian economy is multidimensional and profound. Jumia is not only the largest e-commerce platform in Nigeria, but the most innovative providing trading opportunities for thousands of sellers to connect with millions of consumers in Africa. On a joyous note, I wish you a great 10 years ahead,” Almona stated.
The Nation reports that suspected bandits on Tuesday night launched an attack on Kuje Correctional Center.
Sources told The Nation that the first explosion, a high capacity bomb, went off around 10.25pm.
It was followed by second and third blast and sporadic gunshots that left the residents scampering into safety.
A prison staff, who confirmed the attack in a chat with The Nation, explained that the attackers had come from the back of the prison yard.
He said the gunmen gained access to the prison yard and have taken control of the entire environment.
GIK/APA