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2023:PDP Inaugurates 6-Member Committee To Woo APC Governors, Lawmakers

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The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has appointed a six-member committee to woo governors and lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress into its fold, Sunday PUNCH is reporting.

It was gathered that the PDP, in reaction to the defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State to the APC, set up the National Reconciliation Committee, which was saddled with the responsibility of persuading members of the APC to join the opposition.

The committee, which is headed by a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also includes former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; former Governors Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe); and former Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Mulikat Akande.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbodiyan, had in a tweet via the official Twitter account of the PDP, on Monday evening, announced the composition of the Saraki-led committee.

However, sources within the party informed our correspondent that the national leadership of the party had directed Saraki and members of his committee to scout for members within the ruling party.

One of the sources, who is a member of the National Working Committee of the party, told Sunday PUNCH that the PDP was planning to “harvest some governors” and lawmakers from the APC, adding that there were members of the ruling party who had contacted the PDP for possible defection. He stated that the APC was aware of the plan but that it had quickly asked Umahi to defect from the PDP to send a signal that the former ruling party was no longer attractive.

The source said, “We knew their game. They knew that their members, including governors, members of the National Assembly, and lawmakers at the state level, were contemplating joining us. That’s why they rushed to Umahi, asking him to defect quickly.

“They promised him that they would hand over the state (APC) chapter. That was why the party quickly dissolved the Ebonyi State chapter and picked a serving commissioner as acting chairman.”

The PDP NWC, at its meeting on Monday evening, was said to have also deliberated on the strategy aimed at repositioning the party ahead of the 2023 elections.

It was gathered that the six-party members saddled with the responsibility of poaching from the APC were also asked to approach “those who had stopped participating in political party affairs in the country or their respective states but are still respected for their views.”

When contacted, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, described the assignments handed over to the Saraki-led committee as “multi-dimensional.”

He said, “The committee is free to add any other job to its assignment. We want it to reconcile people at all levels. They are also free to talk to those who want to either return to the PDP or even defect to our party.

“I want to tell you that we have large numbers of lawmakers, both at the national and state levels, who are willing to join us. Also, there are some governors who are already talking to us. We just don’t like making noise about what we are doing. I wonder how this information also got to you. But in any case, we are not sleeping.

“If we had won elections in states such as Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Edo, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara from the opposition without making a noise, I can assure you that we are going to do more positive things that will surprise many.”

In a related development, a former presidential aide, Dr Umar Ardo, called on the incumbent Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, to declare the seat of Senator Elisha Abbo vacant, following the senator’s defection from the PDP to the APC.

Abbo, who claimed that he left the PDP for the APC because of his 2023 governorship ambition in Adamawa State, had also accused the state governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, of not running the party well.

But Ardo, in a message titled ‘Don’t imperil our democracy’ and sent to one of our correspondents, said Lawan owed Nigerians the right to declare the seat of the senator vacant.

He said, “Given the expressed provision of Section 68(1)(g)of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), and the clear interpretation of this provision by the Supreme Court, the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, owes the Nigerian state the inalienable duty to declare Senator Elisa Abbos’s seat vacant, in deference to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as a consequence of the latter’s defection from the PDP to the APC.

Meanwhile, the PDP has paid Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State a visit at the Government House, Enugu to probably stop him from an alleged plan to defect to the APC.

It was gathered that the Friday visit, led by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and ex-Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, was to reassure Ugwuanyi that the party remained committed to being fair to all sections of the country and individual members in their determination to seek political positions through its platform.

 

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Inflation: Real Reason Indomie Reduced Prices Of Popular Staple Food Item Revealed

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In the face of mounting inflationary pressures in Nigeria, Indomie Instant Noodles, a major brand under Dufil Prima Foods Limited, has announced a substantial price cut to ensure affordability for consumers.

The move was made to preserve availability to this well-liked essential food item in response to the growing economic difficulties that Nigerians were facing.

And this is supported by a recent survey that was carried out at a number of Lagos-based stores and found that the costs of Indomie goods had significantly dropped. When compared to the previous month, the price of the 70g pack of Indomie Regular Chicken noodles dropped to N250.

Additionally, the price of a 40-pack carton of Indomie dropped from N12,000 to N10,000 within the same timeframe. Prior to this adjustment, Indomie’s prices had surpassed those of competing brands such as Mimee (N200) and Honeywell noodles (N250).

Temitope Ashiwaju, the group corporate communications & event manager at Dufil Prima Foods Limited, attributed the price reduction to favourable changes in operational costs.

He emphasized the company’s commitment to passing on benefits to consumers, stressing their dedication to fairness and affordability.

“We are never going to be taking advantage of the populace. We want to make profit, but in a fair way,” the spokesman added. “That is why we are determined to keep our products affordable to Nigerians.”

Contrary to speculations suggesting low patronage as the driving factor behind the price adjustment, Ashiwaju reaffirmed that the decision was rooted in the company’s ethos of customer-centricity and fairness.

Industry experts have hailed Dufil Prima’s move as influential, predicting a ripple effect that could prompt other brands to follow suit because Indomie’s dominant position in the market has positioned it as a price setter, prompting expectations for broader shifts in pricing strategies across the industry.

The price reduction by Indomie comes amidst a backdrop of economic challenges in Nigeria, characterized by soaring inflation rates.

Over the past nine months, Nigeria has witnessed a steady rise in headline inflation, driven primarily by government reforms such as the removal of petrol subsidy and naira devaluation.

As a result, food inflation has surged, exacerbating the financial strain on households and leading to an increase in poverty levels.

Despite these economic headwinds, a recent report by Euromonitor International indicates robust growth in the sales value of noodles within Nigeria’s formal market.

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Lagos State Government Disburses N4.48bn In Pension Benefits To Retirees

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  • Governor Sanwo-Olu Upholds Commitment to Pensioners’ Welfare with Timely pay

 

The Lagos state government on Thursday, March 28, paid a total of N4.48 billion in pensions to 1,455 retirees for the month of March.

The payment was given at the Lagos State Pension Commission’s (LASPEC) 104th retirement bonds certificate presentation.

When LASPEC paid N3.2 billion in accrued pensions to 1,013 retirees during the 103rd retirement bonds certificate ceremony in February, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had promised to pay at least N4 billion in March.

To settle all pending accrued pensions by the middle of the year, the governor guaranteed that the state government would pay an additional N3 billion in April.

While he acknowledged the backlog in the payment of accrued rights, Sanwo-Olu noted: “Our attention is focused on systematically eliminating the backlog.”

He also expressed optimism about the actualisation of the government’s dream of a “Pay-As-You-Go” model before his term ended.

At the presentation, LASPEC Director-General, Babalola Obilana, said that the monies were released for civil personnel who retired before the start of the Contributory Pension Scheme in 2007.

Obilana expressed gratitude to Sanwo-Olu for his steadfast dedication to the well-being of the state’s residents.

The governor, he pointed out, had consistently placed pensioners’ interests first and supported measures to lessen their financial difficulties.

He assured that by mid-2024, retirees from the state would receive their benefits as they departed from government employment, emphasising that the governor had kept his word to clear all pension arrears.

Obilana said: “On behalf of Gov. Sanwo-Olu and the entire Lagos State Government, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you present at this memorable event.

“Lagos State is thankful for your accomplishments and the enduring contributions you have made throughout your distinguished careers.

“You have exemplified the values that define Lagos State – integrity, commitment, and excellence.

“Your dedication and hard work have contributed to the dream of a `Greater Lagos’.

You are a source of inspiration for us all. Your legacy will undoubtedly continue to resonate within the public service.”

LASPEC DG further urged retirees to be cautious of fraudsters and choose suitable pension investments. He highlighted the transition from professional life to leisure and hoped their future would be full of happiness and fulfillment from a rewarding professional life.

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Federal Government To Grant Mining Licenses To Only Companies That Process Locally

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Nigeria will only grant new mining licences to companies that present a plan on how minerals would be processed locally, under new guidelines being developed, a government spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

This is a departure from Nigeria’s long-standing practice of exporting raw commodities, as governments around Africa work to increase the value derived from their substantial mineral reserves.

To spur investment, Nigeria will offer investors incentives including tax waivers for importing mining equipment, make it easier to secure electricity generation licences, allow full repatriation of profits and boost security, Segun Tomori, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s minister of solid minerals development said.

“In exchange, we have to review their plans for setting up a plant and how they would add value to the Nigerian economy,” Tomori said. He did not say when the guidelines would be finalised or come into effect.

However, last week the minister of solid minerals development, Dele Alake, said it was now government policy to make value addition a condition for obtaining licences so as to create jobs and help local communities.

Alake, who also chairs an African mining strategy group comprising mining ministers from Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia, is pushing for a continent-wide effort to get maximum local benefit from mineral exploration.

Nigeria, Africa’s top energy producer, has struggled to extract value from its vast mineral resources due to poor incentives and neglect. The underdeveloped mining sector contributes less than 1% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Last year Nigeria exported mostly tin ore and concentrates worth about 137.59 billion naira ($108.34 million), mainly to China and Malaysia, according to the country’s statistics bureau.

The government aims to drive more investment into the sector by issuing more licenses. It has set up a state-owned solid minerals corporation offering investors a 75% stake and established a special security unit tasked with fighting illegal miners.

The government is also trying to regulate artisanal miners, who dominate the sector, by grouping them into cooperatives.

Foreign mining companies operating in Nigeria include Canada-based Thor Explorations which is involved in gold exploration, Chinese-owned Xiang Hui International Mining which partnered with a local company to process gold, and Indian-owned African Natural Resources and Mines, which is building a $600m iron ore processing plant in northern Nigeria.

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