Nation
Lift Ban On PMS Supply To Borders, Senate Tells FG
Senate has called on the Federal Government to lift the restrictions on the supply of petroleum products to border communities in Nigeria.
The Upper Chamber, therefore, directed the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to facilitate the implementation of the unrestricted supply and prevent smuggling of the producst in any form.
The call became imperative since the reason for the ban has been overtaken by the recent removal of subsidy on petroleum products.
They said fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government has substantially put paid to the smuggling of the products, hence petroleum products should be allowed to circulate freely without restrictions.
The resolutions followed the consideration of a motion to that effect sponsored by Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West) at plenary Tuesday.
Senator Adeola, while leading debate on the motion, informed his colleagues that the Federal Government had on November 6, 2019, through the Comptroller General of Customs, directed that “no petroleum product is permitted to be discharged in any filling station within a radius of 20 kilometres to the border” of Nigeria.
He noted that the directive was to checkmate smuggling of Nigerian petroleum products, mostly premium motor spirit (PMS), to the neighbouring countries where there was a thriving market for petrol because of subsidy that was still on the product until May 29, 2023 when President Bola Tinubu announced its removal in his inaugural speech.
His words, “This policy had brought untold hardship and major losses to businesses of the residents and indigenes of the affected border communities, which later made the Nigerian Customs to relax the policy slightly by giving license to two or three petrol stations in each of the Local Government Areas that borders these neighbouring countries.
“But that remedy was just a drop of water in an ocean considering the mass population of the people affected in these border towns and communities”, he stressed.
The lawmaker said the suspension order has really affected the people living in border communities across Yewaland in Ogun State, particularly in Idiroko axiswhere he disclosed only five licensed independent petroleum marketers are allowed to dispense the commodity to over 500,000 residents with over 150 dispersed towns and villages.
Senator Adeola argued that “since there is no longer subsidy on our petroleum products as proclaimed by the President, there is no longer justification for the restriction order, because the price of petrol across the international border has also gone up in line with the new price regime across Nigeria”.
All the Senators who contributed to the motion, lamented the “untold hardships” faced by the people living in border communities over restrictions on fuel and fertilizer, especially in the Northern part of the country.
The Senate also resolved to mandate its Committees on Customs and Excise, and National Security and Intelligence, when constituted, to ensure compliance and report back in four weeks for further legislative action.
By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
Nation
Rivers Judiciary Denise Media Reports On Issuing Judgement Sacking SOLAD
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
Nation
Senate Passes Bill For Establishment Of University In Abia
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
Nation
South East Caucus Kicks As Senate Rejects Nwosu’s Immortalisation
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi
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