The House further mandated its Committees on Police, Army and Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to ensure compliance.
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Our London talks centre on national interest — Wike
… Says consultations continue
Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike said his team is more interested in a better Nigeria and they are consulting widely with those who mean well for the country.
Governor Wike spoke when he interacted with journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, shortly on arrival from London on Friday.
In the company of the Rivers State governor were the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom and Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
Governor Wike, who confirmed their meetings with the Peoples Democratic Party, Presidential
Candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar; All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi and former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo in London, explained that topmost on the agenda is how to make Nigeria better than what is it currently.
The Rivers State governor noted that all is not well with Nigeria and they are seeking remedies that will restore enduring hope in Nigeria.
“I can confirm that this is the first time as a team that we are meeting with presidential candidates. We met with the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and we met with our leader, former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.
“We met the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party. We also met with our Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar. For whatever it’s worth, consultation is ongoing.
“Whatever we are talking about, is for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not parochial and tied to one person or group of persons. We believe that with what is going on, it will be for the interest of Nigerians at the end of the day,” Wike said.
The Governor decried the situation where standard, training and competence have always been traded for mediocrity.
He said leadership should not be about one individual and the interest of his family, but about the collective interest of everybody.
“Consultation is still ongoing. Never mind some people who do not believe in the existence of this country.
“Leadership is not about you and your family. Leadership is about everybody. It’s unfortunate that we are in a country now where a man finishes eight years as a governor and brings his own son as a governor too and as member of National Assembly.
“It’s only in this part of the world that you can see that, when we are talking about poverty everywhere. These are people who do not mean well for this Nigeria,” he said.
Governor Wike also wondered why religion and ethnicity are used as the tenable identity to describe Nigerians when competence is required.
“The only identity they have in this country is religion and ethnicity, nothing more. It’s either, I’m a Christian or I’m a Muslim, I’m a Fulani or I’m an Igbo. Nigeria cannot move forward except they think it will be them. That’s where we are.
“We are in a country where someone with primary school certificate can be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. That tells you how bad this country has become.
“But with our consultation, all these will be a thing of the past. No amount of intimidation or blackmail will deter us. We are determined to right the wrong,” Wike stressed.
In his response, the leader of the team, Ortom, noted that they have met with renowned persons in the last few days because of their belief that Nigeria is in distress and required concerted effort to rescue it.
He stated that they had fruitful talks with those they had met and it was beyond partisan politics, because well meaning Nigerians need to work together in ensuring that Nigeria survives.
“For us, we are looking at the larger picture. Nigeria today is in distress. It is about what can we do. No man or woman alone can get it right for our country.
“We are looking at how we can harness ideas and put ourselves together to ensure that we get out of the present challenge we are in Nigeria today.
“From top to bottom, consider what has happened from 2015 and where we are today. So, what we are doing is a concern that we have for our country, Nigeria.
“This is beyond partisan politics. We are looking on how we can come together and find a way of ensuring that Nigeria survives. Nigeria is on drip, Nigeria is on oxygen and it is about how can we get out of this,” he said.
Governor Ortom stated that the three separate meetings they had within the week were worthwhile session for them.
According to him, they have individually also had earlier commitments in Europe even if consultations are still going on because nothing concrete has been decided.
“The consultation is going on and will continue to go on. We are still going to meet here. We are still going to meet some persons some other time and see how we can work to ensure that the project Nigeria works,” Ortom said.
On his part, Dr Ikpeazu emphasized that they are on a mission and are determined to find a way of rescuing Nigeria.
He noted that they are mindful of what society to bequeath to the present generation, their children and grand children alike.
“And this is a country with great potential and we have to protect it well. We think that we need to engage across board.
“We are also looking at speaking with civil society organisations and those who have ideas, with Nigerians in the diaspora. All the resources available in this country has to come together at this time to see how best we can move Nigeria forward,” he said.
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Cement price: Reps issue Dangote, BUA, others 14 days ultimatum to appear
The House of Representatives has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Dangote Cement, BUA, Lafarge Ashaka and other cement manufacturing companies in Nigeria to appear before it to make their submissions over the arbitrary increases in the price of the commodity nationwide.
The Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals, Mr Gaza Gbefwi, gave the directive at a public hearing to investigate the arbitrary increase in the price of cement in Nigeria by cement manufacturers, organised by House Joint Committees on Commerce, Industry, Special Duties and Solid Minerals on Tuesday in Abuja.
The PUNCH reported on March 13, 2024, that the House adopted a motion on the “Arbitrary increase in the price of cement by the cement manufacturers in Nigeria”, and constituted a joint committee to investigate and report back to it for further legislative action.
At the public hearing on Tuesday, none of the cement companies appeared or sent representatives to make submissions on their behalf.
Angered by the development, Gbefwi who represents Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal Constituency, Nasarawa State, said the parliament was not in receipt of a court order restraining it from inviting anybody or companies for investigative purposes.
He said: “We are trying to see to the development of our country. Just as it was emphasized in the opening remarks, cement is to building what air is to every human being. In the human nature of the House, because we owe them a duty of care because they are equally Nigerians, we are giving them 14 days to make their submissions.
If not, as we have sworn to uphold the constitution, we will use everything within our powers to make sure that Nigerians are not taken for granted and are not exploited. We will not sit back while some companies declare billions in naira and dollars every day while our people can barely afford to get a decent roof over their heads.”
“We have seen in Lagos where you have Nigerians under the bridge and paying rent. Why? If this product was available, I do not believe we would go to that length. Moreover, God has given to this nation, resources in abundance. So, this joint committee resolves to give them 14 days from now, and not 14 working days but 14 days to make sure that they make their submissions and appear before this House,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, pledged the readiness of the House to come up with appropriate legislation to encourage the industrialisation of the country.
He also assured the companies invited for deliberations not to see their invitation as a witch-hunting mission, adding that the parliament was only interested in assisting in resolving the challenges in the building sector occasioned by frequent hikes in the price of cement.
He said: “We are committed to collaborating with both cement manufacturers and end-users, believing this is the most effective way to improve the quality of life and standard of living for our citizens. We are also dedicated to enacting laws that prevent a recurrence of the factors that led to the current situation.
“Our goal is to inform Nigerians about the industry’s current state and collaboratively find solutions to navigate the challenges. The persistent rise in cement prices has had a detrimental impact not only on the building environment but also on the entire economy. Cement is a fundamental component used in construction projects like bridges, dams, houses, waterworks, and road infrastructure. This makes addressing this issue paramount.”
Quoting research by the African Development Bank, Kalu said there is a housing deficit of up to 16.9 million units, adding that Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, and Abuja, have a 20 per cent rise in housing needs yearly. The current total output in the formal housing sector is estimated at not more than 100,000 units”.
The Deputy Speaker asserted that bridging this gap requires affordable and accessible cement prices for both the government and the private sector.
“While factors like exchange rates have contributed to the price increases across various commodities, it is encouraging to see the positive results of the “Renewed Hope” administration’s policies under the leadership of Bola Tinubu. Notably, the naira has shown remarkable strength against the dollar in recent weeks, and Fitch Ratings, a global credit rating agency, recently revised Nigeria’s credit outlook to positive from stable”, he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, Gbefwi said that Nigeria has a high housing deficit of about 3 million units and a huge infrastructural deficit.
He stated: “Indeed the recent events that led to the skyrocketing of the price of cement in Nigeria has been worrisome and of great concern as it is inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians.
“To close this gap, both government and the private sector must be articulate and deliberate in putting the right policies and parameters in place that can promote, induce and or encourage development.
He added that the cost of cement is higher in Nigeria compared to other countries in Africa using the current exchange rate of the dollar to local currencies.
“Our review of cement prices in other countries like Kenya, India and Zambia for 2021 alone shows that Nigeria has the highest price of cement using the official exchange rates for each country. Nigeria’s price of cement doubles that of India at a difference of 69 per cent. Similarly, the price is 29 per cent higher than that in Kenya and 39 per cent higher in Zambia; hence the need for us to come together and find out why,” he added.
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Reps charge IGP, DSS to investigate Kaduna killings
The House of Representatives has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Department of State Services and heads of other security agencies to probe the recent killings of innocent Nigerians in Ambe in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Six persons were reportedly killed in Ambe, a settlement in the Arak chiefdom, on Sunday when gunmen invaded the community, shooting sporadically at innocent citizens.
At the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the member representing Jemaa/Sanga Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, Amos Daniel via a motion on matters of urgent public importance noted that “At about 7 PM on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Ambe, in the outskirts of Gwantu, Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State following the attack from two gunmen who arrived on two motorcycles at the birthday celebration venue of their aged father, killed six people and injured many.”
The lawmaker also noted that youths in the area summoned the courage to apprehend one of the gunmen with his motorcycle and later handed him over to soldiers on guard, adding that some of the victims of the attack are currently receiving treatment at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital.
The Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker further maintained that since the unfortunate incident, residents of the area have been left traumatized and unable to carry out their daily businesses in fear of the unknown.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House observed a minute silence in honour of the dead and called on the IGP to deploy more police personnel to secure the area.
It also urged the IGP, the military and DSS to go the whole distance to ensure that the culprits are arrested and brought to book, while also calling on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and the National Emergency Management Agency to provide food and non-food items to the affected victims.
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NNPC Ltd. reassures public with over 1.5bn litres of petrol
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. says it has over 1.5 billion litres stock of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, which will last for over 30 days.
Mr Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., said this in a statement on Tuesday.
The company called on motorists to shun panic buying of the product as the nationwide supply and distribution of PMS continued to improve across the country.
“In the filling stations monitored across several states, including Lagos and the FCT, the queues have since thinned out, a development that will keep improving daily in other states.
“The Company wishes to state that at the moment, it has over 1.5 billion litres stock of PMS, which is equivalent to over 30 days sufficiency.
“The NNPC Ltd. is also collaborating with relevant agencies, such as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), labour unions in the sector and security operatives to address hoarding and other unwholesome practices,” he said.
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