Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will depart Abuja today for the United Kingdom to begin a two-week vacation, as part of his yearly leave.

This was made known in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The statement read, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for the United Kingdom to begin a two-week vacation, part of his yearly leave.

“He will use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms.

“He will return to the country after the leave expires.”

More to come…

Importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol dropped by 3.5 billion litres in the last year, data gathered from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown.

In the latest petroleum products distribution statistics released by the agency on Tuesday, total petrol imports reduced to 20.30 billion litres in 2023 from the 23.54 billion litres recorded in 2022, showing a decrease of 13.77 percent year-on-year.

NBS also noted that petrol imports dropped by 3.58 billion litres in the second half of 2023 compared to the year’s first half.

It said the country imported 8.36 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in H2 (first half) of 2023, a significant decrease from the 11.94 billion litres imported in H1 2023, marking a 29.99 per cent reduction.

It said, “In 2023, PMS truck out stood at 20.22 billion litres, indicating a 16.96 per cent decrease relative to 24.35 billion litres recorded in 2022.

“In terms of imported products, 20.30 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit were imported in 2023 relative to 23.54 billion litres in 2022, showing a decrease of 13.77 per cent. This downward trend is even more notable when compared to H2 2022.

“In the latter half of 2022, petrol imports stood at 11.98 billion litres, resulting in a 30.22 per cent drop when compared to H2 2023, equivalent to a reduction of 3.62 billion litres.”

A breakdown for the monthly volume of fuel imports in 2023 showed that 2.09 billion was brought in January, reduced to 1.99 billion in February, increased to 2.29 billion in March, 1.91 billion in April, and 2.01 billion in May.

It was 1.64 billion in June, 1.45 billion in July, 1.09 billion in August, 1.21 billion in September, 1.16 billion in October, 1.55 billion in November and 1.88 billion in December.

These figures highlight a drop in consumption across the country.

Similarly, the bureau stated that the volume of Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel imported into Nigeria, rose to 4.94 billion litres in 2023 from four billion litres in 2022.

The statistics also showed that 109.39 million litres of AGO was locally produced in 2023, representing a 6.76 per cent rise from 102.47 million litres produced in 2022.

“About 69.71 million litres of Household Kerosene were locally produced in 2023 compared to 44.68 million litres in 2022, indicating a growth rate of 56.02 per cent over the period.

“For Automotive Gas Oil, 109.39 million litres were locally produced in 2023, when compared to 102.47 million litres reported in 2022. This represents a 6.76 per cent growth rate.

“Also, 4.94 billion litres of Automotive Gas Oil were imported in 2023, indicating an increase of 23.66 per cent compared to four billion litres in the previous year,” It added.

A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that his decision to enter politics was motivated solely by a desire to serve the people, not to accumulate wealth or misuse public funds.

El-Rufai made this statement on Tuesday during a Hausa program broadcasted on “Freedom Radio,” Kaduna.

Speaking openly, the former governor refuted allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure, asserting that he was financially comfortable before assuming office.

The “Kaduna State House of Assembly” had previously accused El-Rufai’s administration of misappropriating over N423 billion during his eight-year term.

However, El-Rufai and his associates have consistently denied the accusations, describing them as “politically motivated.”

“I did not join politics to steal money or enrich myself. I was satisfied with what I had before becoming governor,” El-Rufai stated, adding that he is willing to swear on the Quran to prove his innocence, provided that other former governors and current leaders do the same.

“I have always prayed for guidance in all I do, and I strive not to betray the trust of the people. Whenever the former governors of Kaduna State and other leaders are ready to swear with the Quran that they never misappropriated public funds, I will join them. I have no fear because I know I never took money that belonged to the people,” he said.

The former governor expressed disappointment over the accusations, noting that his administration has been charged without any clear evidence of where the funds went missing or who took them.

He also claimed that his allies were being targeted and summoned by the “Independent Corrupt Practices Commission” and the “Economic and Financial Crimes Commission” as part of a smear campaign against him.

“I have left everything to God’s judgment. I have prayed and will remain silent on the issue. I have instructed my lawyers to take legal action against those tarnishing my name, but for now, I’m focused on my activities like reading and writing,” he said.

El-Rufai highlighted that service to the people continues even after leaving office, saying, “You don’t need to hold a position in government to serve. We are still working with like-minded individuals who genuinely want to serve the people, not those seeking to enrich themselves.”

Looking forward, El-Rufai revealed his intention to return to politics in 2027 after completing his studies, adding, “There is no retirement in politics. God willing, we will return and continue serving the people.”