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Price Crude Oil In Naira To Strengthen Currency, Expert Advises FG
A financial expert, Mr Okechukwu Unegbu, has advised the Federal Government to consider pricing the country’s crude oil, in Naira in order to strengthen the local currency.
Unegbu, a past president of the Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), said this in an interview with the newsmen in Abuja.
According to him, the country’s crude oil, bonny light, is of the highest quality and most sought after in the international market.
He said that the government could afford to ignore OPEC regulations and start pricing its crude oil independently in Naira, adding that it would not reduce patronage.
“Floating the Naira was a major error that has exacerbated inflationary trend and caused the people so much pain.
“Nigeria should do something about pricing its oil in Naira. We should leave the regulations of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and price our oil independently,” he said.
Unegbu also advised the government to ignore most economic prescriptions by the Bretton Woods institutions and produce indigenous solutions to the nation’s economic challenges.
Also, an economist and a past president of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Chijioke Ekechukwu, said that the Naira could be strengthened if the country could earn substantial foreign exchange revenue on a daily basis.
Ekechukwu urged the Federal Government to use every possible avenue to increase the country’s export base to earn more forex.
He advised the government to ensure that the country’s crude oil sales met OPEC quota of 1.8 million barrels per day.
He said that the government should ensure that the revenue from crude oil sales came in on a daily basis through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“If we sell our exports on a daily basis, we must get the revenue on a daily basis.
“The revenue must come through the CBN, and the apex bank must receive and distribute such revenue almost immediately.
“But if we have inflow coming in as revenue and the CBN is not seeing it, the NNPC is selling but we do not know where the money is going to, there will be shortage of forex.
“We need a situation where we earn forex on a daily basis, and we have excess of it in the market for both the banks and the Bureaux De Change.
“Until we have such a situation and we are able to meet all the demands of importers, the exchange rates will not come down in a hurry,” he said.
According to him, the Federal Government should also initiate a deliberate policy of total curtailing of importation so that what we cannot source locally should not be consumed.
He said that such a step would drastically reduce the demand for the dollar and other foreign currencies.
“It is either there will be a deliberate policy of total curtailing of importation so that whatever we cannot source locally we do not need, so that the demand for foreign exchange will drop, “ he said.
The expert said that the idea of unifying the dual exchange rates and floating the Naira as done by President Bola Tinubu, without a strong export base, had been counter-productive.
He urged the Federal Government to revisit the policy decision.
“Floating the Naira when your balance of trade is heavy on the negative side was ill-advised.
“We were not prepared with enough in our foreign exchange reserves. We did not have enough revenue in foreign exchange to float the Naira.
“If possible, the policy should be reversed so that we can go back to moderating the foreign exchange market, “ he said.
Ekechukwu also advised that payments of fees to foreign universities should be curtailed.
“There should be a deliberate policy to reduce payments to foreign universities, “ he said.
According to a renowned economist, Prof. Ken Ife, if inflation can be addressed; if we produce more food, things will improve. It will also address the issue of “dollarisation’’ of the economy.
Ike said that the importation section required four billion dollars monthly to import goods and services into the country.
“But because we have excess liquidity in the system, speculators are simply keeping the dollar as a store of value. Excess liquidity is a major challenge to the Nigerian economy.
“People with so much Naira go looking for dollars. They are now betting on the Naira, and the forward bet on the Naira is that it will continue to go down.
“Everybody keeps holding the dollar and using the dollar to trade with the expectation that the Naira will continue to fall.
“If the expectation is that the Naira will appreciate, people will quickly sell their dollars,’’ he said.
The Tide reports that the Naira experienced a free fall after Tinubu unified the dual exchange rates and floated the currency in 2023.
The policy, coupled with the prevailing dollar illiquidity had seen the Naira exchanging for as high as N1,900 to the dollar in February.
However, the currency started gradual appreciation in March, peaking at N1, 100 to the dollar at the parallel market in early April.
This was as a result of the monetary policy tightening by the CBN, and attempt to improve dollar liquidity by selling some treasury bills to foreign portfolio investors,
The Naira, again, started losing steam and becoming weak towards the end of April, and now exchanges at N1,400 to the dollar.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.