The call by the Federal Government for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of civil servants and the statement by the Central Bank of Nigeria that e-naira which is set to be launched on October 1 is a legal tender equal to the value of the naira are some of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Guardian reports that the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has reiterated the seriousness of the Federal Government’s call for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of civil servants.
Speaking yesterday at the unveiling of ‘Nigeria at 60 Photo Exhibition’ with the theme, “60 Years of Our Togetherness, in Abuja, the SGF, who was guest of honour, stated: “So, my sincere advice to Nigerians, who are yet to get vaccinated, to do so urgently, because very soon, we will make it mandatory in all government establishments and functions that civil servants are vaccinated.”
On the coming Diamond Jubilee festivities, Mustapha said it was gratifying to see a united Nigeria despite its diversity in cultures, languages and religions.
He said: “As a country, we have witnessed several changes in the system of governance from parliamentary to the current presidential system. We are already enjoying over 20 years of civil rule in the Fourth Republic – the longest ever in the history of the country.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, acknowledged that several factors, including the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, inter-tribal marriages, sports and arts, have contributed immensely to the nation’s unity.
He urged the invited youths to take a cursory look at the images of the founding fathers and replicate their contributions to Nigeria’s overall well-being.
The Punch says that the Central Bank of Nigeria has said that the e-naira which is set to be launched on October 1 is a legal tender equal to the value of the naira and thus must be accepted as a form of payment by all merchants and business outlets.
The CBN Director, Payment System Management, Mr. Musa Jimoh, said this during an interview on the ‘Business Morning’ programme on Channels Television on Monday.
Jimoh said, “Today, anywhere you present naira to pay, compulsorily it must be accepted because that is our fiat currency. So, the same way naira is accepted that you can’t reject it, is the same way e-naira must be accepted. Anywhere in this country where e-naira is presented, it must be accepted. So, merchants must accept e-naira as a means of payment.”
He advised Nigerians to open e-naira wallets which could be downloaded on their phones from October 1, adding that CBN bears all liabilities. “The liability of the e-naira money is directly on CBN which is similar to the cash you hold. The liability of the cash you hold today rests with the CBN. So, it gives Nigerians the opportunity to bank with CBN,” Jimoh said.
The newspaper reports that in February, the NPA introduced the electronic truck call-up system also known as ‘Eto’ designed to address gridlock on roads leading to the ports.
However, there has been an upsurge in traffic congestion raising concerns among various stakeholders. Fayinka said, “The problem we are having today is a sudden closure of the gates by the NPA. It was not expected.
“NPA has an arrangement that for trucks to come into Apapa port, they will validate their papers. They call it ‘Eto’. That one is being anchored by Truck Transit Park and the NPA who are working together.
“Our own as the Lagos State Government is to ensure the free flow of traffic. We don’t benefit from the ticket or issue it.
“They were coming to the ports and all of a sudden were told that the NPA through the Chief Security Officer of Tin Can Port said they should close the gates. When I found out, I had two options. Either to turn these vehicles back to their garages or allow for a single lane.
“The best thing for me to do is to order that the vehicles should be turned back to their different private garages until NPA decides to open their gates.”
The Sun says that more difficult times await Nigerians in the months ahead as the Federal Government yesterday announced it is ending the N30 billion monthly electricity subsidy by January 2022.
The decision is also to affect all forms of subsidies hitherto extended to operators in the power sector value chain.
The Special Adviser to the President on infrastructure, Ahmed Zakari, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting, organised by the Nigerian Electricity Commission (NERC) in Lagos.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had last July said the government expected the electricity sector to generate its revenue from the power sector market.
The VP noted that government would be investing over N43 billion in the coming years to improve transmission and distribution infrastructure across the country. The power industry in Nigeria has reportedly been bogged down by claims of revenue shortfall allegedly due to a tariff regime that is “not cost reflective.”
Data from the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) shows that the tariff being collected by DisCos is below 50 percent of their invoices. The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) had consistently lamented that the absence of of a cost reflective remained one of the major setbacks confronting the sector.
The newspaper reports that Nigeria’s Diaspora Ambassador and the Director of Global NGO Executive Committee, Mrs Olasubomi Iginla- Aina, says Nigeria may get £25 billions foreign direct investment from UK to boost economy.
Iginla-Aina disclosed this after an official meeting with the UK Foriegn Affairs Committee (FAC), Parliament selected committee where they recommended policy reforms to reposition Nigeria.committee.
The event which was held in London, evolved around national development plan strong enough to address the multiple challenges faced in the nation. She said the plan focused on achieving security stability, education transformation and attention on small and medium scale enterprises.
“In a small focus group of about 13 Nigerians, emphasis on the need for Nigeria to seek better means to tackle the menace, as suggestions and modalities that could be a game changer in helping in the long-term sustainable- development of Nigeria.
The Chairperson of the House of Commons, Foreign Affairs Select Committee Tom Tugendhat (MP) said there could be around £25 billions available to be spent as Foreign Direct Investments/Aids for Nigeria’s development plan.
Iginla-Aina added she was actively involved in order to firm up strategies towards addressing the growing crisis and major challenges faced in Nigeria.
ThisDay says that the International Energy Agency (IEA), has predicted that global demand for crude oil will rebound in October by as much as an additional 1.6 million barrels per day and continue in that line till the end of 2021 on the back of abating Covid-19 cases.
Making the disclosure in its oil market report (OMR) for September, IEA, one of the world’s most authoritative and timely sources of data, which forecasts and analyses the global oil market, however announced that demand declined in Q3, due to a resurgence of the pandemic in Asia.
The report noted that world oil supply fell 540 kbd month-to-month in August to 96.1 mb/d, but is expected to hold steady in September as unplanned outages offset increases from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies known as OPEC+.
It added that Hurricane Ida shut in 1.7 mb/d of oil production along the US Gulf Coast at end-August, with potential supply losses from the storm, stressing that supply should resume in October as OPEC+ continues to unwind cuts, outages are resolved and as other producers increase
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GIK/APA