The Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) on Wednesday in Abuja pledged its support for the Federal Government’s removal of fuel subsidy.

The association’s chairperson, Dame Winifred Akpani, made the disclosure at the end of a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

She said the association would also support the government’s palliative measures by providing between 50 and 100 mass transit buses.

Akpani said the buses would be locally manufactured and would use Compressed Natural Gas as fuel.

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“We pledge our support for President Tinubu in the bold decision of removing petrol subsidy. It is an idea that was long overdue.

“Removal of subsidy is not about making fuel costly and taking it out of the reach of Nigerians. It is about getting it right on the real issue of petroleum product subsidy.

“Who are those enjoying the subsidy? The subsidy ends up being enjoyed by those it was not meant for.

“We also spoke to the president about substitutes to petrol as well as creating an environment conducive for investments to thrive in the oil sector,’’ she said.

Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, who led the DAPPMAN delegation, described the subsidy removal as a bold step that portended positive growth for the economy.

READ ALSO:sibsObi Clarifies Position On Subsidy Removal

He said fuel subsidy withdrawal was a clear indication of Tinubu’s readiness to address the challenges of the oil and gas sector.

“Subsidy has become a N4 trillion per annum issue and its removal will release more funds for economic development.

“Subsidy removal will unleash the potential of Nigeria because it will open up a lot of resources for the development of other sectors of the economy.

“The National Economic Council will soon begin sitting to propose interventions on the subsidy removal.

“The interventions will definitely be a long-lasting solution to the effect of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians,’’ Abiodun said.

Abuja: Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has blasted the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Aminu Goro, for alleged fabrications, outright lies and unwarranted attacks on the floor of the House, towards political gains, saying there was no plan to proscribe the Academic staff union of Universities, ASUU.

Ngige who expressed shock by the lawmaker’s outburst, urged the outgoing House of Representative member to go back and read the Trade Union Act, (2004) and not to rubbish other persons for political survival.

The former minister in a statement from his Media Office, among others, said “The Minister of Labour does not need Presidential approval to withdraw certificates of registration of Trade Unions. The Trade Union Act 2004 permits the Registrar of Trade Unions to cancel a certificate suo moto in Section 7 especially as ASUU had breached Section 3 on the annual rendition of Audited Accounts. ASUU was in default for five years.

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“Another Section of Trade Dispute Act; The Essential Services Act Cap T9 permits the President to proscribe any erring Union involved in an illegal strike but all through the 2022 ASUU strike neither the President nor any of his Ministers in Education or Labour mooted such an idea because the Minister of Labour and Employment has done the right thing by the transmission of an Instrument on the issue to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication in accordance with Section 17 of TDA. 2004. So former President Buhari and his officials chose the path of the rule of Law in dealing with the unending strike when conciliation failed instead of an arm-twisting proscription as alleged by Aminu Goro.

“Aminu’s cock and bull narrative aimed at sweetening the ears of the audience including fellow outgoing members at the expense of other patriotic Nigerians including the former President should be discouraged by all including the outgoing Speaker. No such incident ever happened on the Executive side and hence the painted scenario never took place at all. This is by no means to say that the Outgoing Speaker and Chief of Staff designates to the President did not contribute to the resolution of the issue with ASUU. He did and passionately too like many others on the government side and the Traditional and Religious leaders. But the ultimate solution and relief came from the Judiciary. Judges of both the NICN and the Court of Appeal who interpreted the relevant sections of the Trade Dispute Act 2004 without fear or favour and ordered ASUU back to the classroom.”

READ ALSO: NLC Writes ASUU, JUSUN, Others Ahead Of Nationwide Strike

He added that ASUU violated section 37 of the Trade Unions Acts CAP T14 that required the registered trade unions to submit their annual audited accounts and financial returns to the Registrar of Trade Unions on or before 1st June every year. Section 7 of the Acts gives the Registrar the power to cancel the certificate of registration of any trade union that deliberately contravened or continue to contravene any provision of the Act after receipt of a warning in writing from the Registrar.

“Warning in writing was duly issued to ASUU in 2019 and 2021 but deliberately and in order to leave them with a window for peaceful resolution this right was not exercise.”

The embattled former Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), in Ogun State chapter, Olaposi Sunday Oginni, has been arrested by men of the Nigeria Police Force.

It was gathered that Oginni was arrested over allegations bordering on financial misappropriation, fraud, money laundering, among others.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the Oginni was arrested on Tuesday in Abeokuta, by a team of police detectives from Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Oginni was detained at Lafenwa Police Station, Abeokuta, before he was later whisked away to Police Headquarters, Abuja on Wednesday.

Oginni’s arrest followed a petition sent to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, by E.A Igwe & Co on behalf of the board of trustees and members of the party.

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The petition with Ref EAV/MISC/05/1992/2023, was dated May 20, 2023 and titled “Call for the arrest of the culprits and to subject them to the full wrath of the law”.

The petitioner noted that the main culprit was guilty of money laundering.

The petition reads, “It is our further information that the culprits are also guilty of gunrunning, which most of them used during the just concluded election in some states, including Ogun. We are informed by our clients, and we verily believe same that the relevant facts-in-issue are as stated hereunder for your perusal.

“It is our instruction that these culprits are hell-bent and had conspired amongst themselves to deliberately destabilize and frustrate the activities of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at the party secretariat situate and lying at No. 11 Mahatma Gandhi Street, Area 11, Garki Abuja for no justifiable reason save to project their evil plot by attacking the party secretariat.

READ ALSO: Court Admits Final Results In LP, Obi’s Petition

“The main culprit is guilty of money laundering charges and will not stop in such a boastful act unless arrested and subjected to the full wrath of the law. It is our further information that the culprits are also guilty of gunrunning, which most of them used during the just concluded election in some states including Ogun State. The culprits are also fingered to be financing terrorism contrary to Section 25 of the Money Laundering Act”.

Confirming the arrest of Oginni, the Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, noted that a team of investigators came from Abuja on investigation activities and arrested the former NNPP chairman over unlawful possession.

She added that Oginni was detained in Lafenwa division and was taken to Abuja early this morning.

“A team of investigators came from Abuja Command on investigation activities and arrested the person you are asking about for unlawful possession. He was detained in Lafenwa division, and early in the morning, the suspect was taken to Abuja. The command did not arrest him, but detectives from Abuja Command, Lafenwa was the division where he was detained,” Odutola added.