News

Subsidy Removal: Nigeria On Brink Of Collapse — Catholic Bishops

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2023

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has raised the alarm that the removal of fuel subsidy without cushioning the effects has put the country on the brink of collapse.

The bishops’ alarm came as Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, pleaded with the Federal Government to urgently address the pains of the people arising from the removal of subsidy on petrol.

However, efforts made to get the reaction of the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake, did not yield any results, as he neither responded to a text message sent to his phone nor picked up his calls.

But the President of CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, raised the alarm in a homily delivered at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral, during the reception of the Supreme Subordinate President of the Knights of St. John International, Prof. Remy Uche, in Owerri, weekend, said Nigeria might be heading for the precipice if nothing urgent is done to effectively check the current economic crisis facing the nation and its citizens.

He said: “The suffering in the land has over the years been galloping uncontrollably. Our growing economic crisis became exacerbated with the recent withdrawal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government. Indeed, Nigeria is on the brink of collapse.

“Government has not ceased to inundate citizens with it’s fabled palliative measures to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal. I am sure those running the nation’s affairs at all levels know that palliative measures can never be a cure for any economic or health challenge.

“If Nigerians are given food items as palliatives, we will definitely go hungry again, after consuming the food. So, I ask: Why waste resources on palliative measures, instead of attacking the problems frontally?

“Provision of a constant source of energy remains the driving force in all developing and developed economies. Why is ours different? Why should we not subsidize fuel?

“We have severally been told that some people have been enriching themselves from our commonwealth through petrol subsidy. For many patriotic citizens, this argument does not hold water.

“Why has the government failed, is unwilling or incapable of identifying the supposed culprits and bringing them to account for their sordid act?

“There is a lot of deceit and corruption in the land. How can anybody explain why and how the former administration hurriedly commissioned the Dangote refinery, which is yet to start production? So, why the haste in commissioning an unfinished project?

“There is also the fabled story of the supposed Nigerian airline and how an aeroplane was hired or borrowed to flag off its operation. Where is the airline today? Has anyone been asked to account for the act? This is not a good national testimonial.

“The root of Nigeria’s problem is massive corruption. For Nigeria to survive, we must collectively fight corruption, whichever way it rears its ugly head.

“Government must be told that we cannot afford the luxury of punishing the entire populace, because of the corrupt tendencies of a few. This is not fair to all concerned.”

News

BREAKING: Ex-CDS Musa meets Tinubu At Aso Villa

Published

49 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, is meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Musa was spotted arriving at the State House at 7:03 pm on Monday as he was led into the President’s office area by a senior security official.

Dressed in dark-green traditional northern attire with elbow-length sleeves, Musa is meeting the President publicly for the first time since Tinubu retired him on October 24, 2025.

The purpose of the meeting was not immediately known.

It comes amid heightened security concerns in the North, including the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi, the attack on worshippers in Eruku, Kwara, and the kidnapping of Catholic schoolchildren in Minna, as security agencies intensify counter-terrorism and anti-kidnapping operations across the North-West and North-Central.

News

Insecurity: Former NYSC Director Tasks Corps Members On Self, Environmental Consciousness

Published

4 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

A retired Director, Information and Public Relations, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Directorate Headquarters, Eddy Megwa, has called on all corps members serving in the country to take their personal security seriously, always be self and environmental conscious.

The former Director made the call at the Bauchi NYSC permanent orientation camp, Wailo, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state on Monday.

He warned that the times were evil, therefore vigilance, self consciousness and consciousness of the environment were of paramount importance.

He also called on them to serve the nation with loyalty, commitment and zeal for patriotism, adding that no nation grew without the selfless service of the citizens and called on the corps members to rise up and make the desired change.

“I want to urge you all to deliberately work towards building a great nation of our collective dreams.

“This is because if we have a country that is working very well, the youths will not be desperate about relocating to other countries of the world for greener pastures,” he said.

Megwa further discouraged the youth from illegal migration, describing it as a suicide mission as many of such ‘desperate people’ ended up losing their lives in the Sahara desert in the most gruesome manner.

The former NYSC Spokesman encouraged the corps members to strive for excellence in all they do and achieve even what their forebears could not achieve.

“There are a whole lot of opportunities you have now and can leverage on which the older generation never had.”

He told his audience not to put their names and their families into disrepute by getting themselves involved in crimes and other unwholesome activities.

“The Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme of the NYSC is the panacea to graduate unemployment.

“I want to, therefore, advise you to take advantage of the programme by learning skills that will be useful to you in the future.”

Earlier, Mr Umoren Kufre, the state’s Coordinator of NYSC, appreciated the retired Director for the visit and words of motivation to both camp officials and corps members.

He described the former Director as a living legend that shaped the NYSC Public Relations Unit to what it is today and left his footprints boldly.

News

NiMet Predicts Three-day Sunshine, Cloudiness From Monday

Published

5 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and haziness from Monday to Wednesday across the country.‎

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged sunny skies over the entire northern region throughout the forecast period on Monday.‎

It envisaged ‎sunny skies with patches of clouds over the entire central region.‎”For the southern region, ‎cloudy atmosphere with sunshine intervals is anticipated over the region with slim chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross River during the afternoon to evening hours,” it said‎According to NiMet, dust haze is anticipated over Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, and Yobe on Tuesday throughout the forecast period.‎It anticipated sunny skies with cloud patches over the entire central region.

“For ‎southern region, ‎cloudy skies are expected over the region with slim prospects of isolated thunderstorms over parts of ‎Cross River during morning hours.‎” Isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Delta, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River later in the day,” it said.‎

The agency predicted dust haze over the northern region throughout the forecast period on Wednesday.‎NiMet anticipated a sunny and hazy atmosphere over the entire central region.‎”For the southern region, cloudy atmosphere are over the region in the morning hours.‎

“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over parts of Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers ” it said.

NiMet urged the public to drive under the rain with caution and to take necessary precautions as ‎dust particles would be in suspension over the northern region.

NiMet advised people with asthmatic health conditions and other respiratory issues to be cautious of the present weather ‎conditions.

‎”Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.‎” Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet – visit our website – www.nimet.gov.ng.