Category: 📃Supers News

Nigerian man was left in shock after witnessing what he described as a real dark power being invoked using a Bible.

This incident followed a consultation with an expert to investigate the theft of a bike from a compound overnight.

The man’s experience, which he shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter), revealed that he had never encountered anything like it before.

He explained that after a bike was stolen from a neighbor’s compound, someone was called in to use dark powers to identify the thief.

In his post, he wrote: “Someone’s bike got stolen in our compound at night, so they called someone who knows how to make findings using dark powers to reveal the person. Man, I’ve heard of things like this, didn’t doubt its existence, but this one shocked me.”

The man went on to share a video showing the process.

In it, the expert held several objects to a Bible while chanting: “If the person is in this community, let the Bible turn.”

To everyone’s astonishment, the Bible began to turn on its own.

As the video spread online, concerned users flocked to the comments section to share their reactions and thoughts on the strange event.

See some reactions below: 

@EditiPeter: “Lol, this fake stuff. You never see juju wie dey talk before? Call your name.”

@Chris_da_genius: “It worked perfectly for me one time my phone was stolen on site and we caught the thief. I didn’t know if I should attribute it to dark magic cos the guy was calling on the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob while telling the bible to rotate.”

@sirwalexy: “I have experienced this before, I was shocked to my bones. At least it saved the day.”

@Fola_MF: “My dad told me about this thing but this is the first time im seeing it live.”

@jayson_eyeballs: “I’ve witnessed this sort of thing in a village in enugu ezike. The man had this fan on leg, it had something like a flap on it. The flap was seriously moving on its own when it was asked true or false questions like this. Things dey for this life.”

@Rhporiginals: “This thing na rubbish Oga 😂Our tenant fone lost for compound( former compound), landlady go inside carry broom with red rope, begin talk rubbish (broom turn e tire 😂) after everything na for back of compound fone fall😂.”

@EricNoMannerz: “This thing na rubbish 😂😂 i done see one herbalist do this thing before. Ask questions and the thing turn, then the man ask the thing, “will the phone be found” the thing turn, meaning Yes!… Bro til today we nor see dat phone again, it has been 2years now.”

WATCH VIDEO: 

Dawg, take a look at this shit https://t.co/50ovrWWz1x pic.twitter.com/N7RwiUA1WH

— 𝙲𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗꒻ꋬꉔꀘnotsparrow⚓ (@CaptainJackooo) December 30, 2024

At the close of the first trading day of the week, the Nigerian Exchange Limited recorded a market capitalisation of N62.5tn, with a total of 641,117,293 shares traded in 13,778 deals.

The value of these transactions amounted to N15.50bn, reflecting a 44 per cent increase in trading volume, a 3 per cent increase in turnover, and a 10 per cent rise in the number of deals compared to the previous trading day.

In terms of market performance, the NGX All-Share Index rose by 0.99 percent to close at 103,149.35 points. This represents a one-week gain of 1.88 per cent, a four-week gain of 5.49 per cent, and a year-to-date increase of 37.95 per cent.

The trading session saw a total of 127 listed equities on the exchange, with 39 gaining and 21 losing.

Among the top gainers, MeCure Industries, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals, and Prestige Assurance Company all saw a 10 per cent rise in their share prices, closing at N12.65, N2.09, and N1.10 per share, respectively. Lasaco Assurance followed closely with a 9.96 per cent increase, closing at N3.09, while Livingtrust Mortgage Bank gained 9.92 per cent, closing at N3.99, and Meyer Plc rose by 9.91 per cent to close at N8.43.

On the losing side, PZ Cussons Nigeria recorded the highest decline, dropping 10 per cent to close at N26.10. This was followed by Vitafoam Nigeria, which lost 9.62 per cent to close at N21.60, and NGX Group, which dropped 9.17 per cent to end the day at N27.25. Other notable losers included Ikeja Hotel, which fell by 7.41 per cent to close at N11.25; Eterna Plc, which dropped 5.26 per cent to N27.00; and Japaul Gold, down by 4.11 per cent to close at N2.10.

Universal Insurance Company led the market in trading volume with 71.5 million shares, followed by Guaranty Trust Holding, which saw 54.7 million shares traded, and Access Holdings with 46.6 million shares. C&I Leasing also recorded a high volume of 32.3 million shares.

In terms of sectoral performance, the Top 30 Index gained 1.15 per cent and saw a 36.93 per cent rise year-to-date. The Insurance Index also increased, rising 2.45 per cent, while the Consumer Goods Index gained 1.76 per cent, reflecting a 54.88 per cent year-to-date rise.

The PUNCH reported that the Nigerian equity market recorded a gain of N472bn during the shortened trading week, as the Federal Government declared Wednesday, December 25, and Thursday, December 26, 2024, public holidays for Christmas celebrations.

Petrol has become unaffordable to ordinary Nigerians despite the availability of two facilities refining the nation’s crude oil. This has spiked inflation, making life difficult for the citizenry whose hope of cheaper fuels depended heavily on local refineries, DARE OLAWIN reports

Years ago, Nigerians were made to believe that the only road to affordable petroleum products was to have local refineries processing the country’s crude oil. It was argued that the price of premium motor spirits, otherwise known as petrol, would crash if the product were produced in the country, but that seems not to be the reality at this time.

When former President Goodluck Jonathan attempted to remove petrol subsidies in 2012, he faced strict resistance. There was a violent protest tagged ‘Occupy Nigeria.’ Then, the organised labour and members of the opposition rejected the decision, saying Nigerians could not pay N141 for a litre of petrol. One of the requests made by the protesters in 2012 was a revamp of the nation’s refineries and stop the importation of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and others. The anti-subsidy removal protesters, many of whom are in the current government, said the locally refined petroleum products would be cheaper than the imported ones, so subsidy removal would not impact the price as envisaged. Jonathan bowed to pressure over his inability to revamp the refineries immediately, but   reduced the price to N97 instead of taking it back to N65 per litre.

In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari took over with a promise to fix the refineries before removing fuel subsidies. Though the prices of PMS went up close to N200 per litre under his watch, Buhari was very reluctant to remove subsidies because of the hardship this could inflict on the masses. The former president secured a $1.5bn loan to revamp the Port Harcourt refinery, which was not ready before he left office. However, the ‘clever’ Buhari shifted the subsidy removal burden to his successor as he made no provision for the same in the budget from June 2023.

When the incumbent Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, he wasted no time declaring that “the fuel subsidy is gone.”

No sooner had Tinubu made the pronouncement than the country’s economic situation began a downward slide, changing for the worse. Filling stations, including the ones owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, raised the pump price of petrol above N500 per litre at the time. Some Nigerians, who had hoped that the new administration would turn around the situation positively, began to feel uneasy, though they were persuaded by the president, who stated that there would be gain after pain.

To the average Nigerian, petrol means more than what it is in other countries. The country’s economy depends almost solely on fuel. Both the rich and the poor need petrol for vehicles or to run engines for commercial activities.

In a country where over 85 million people have no access to electricity, petrol has always been the hope of the people, both the rich and the poor alike, to avoid darkness. Nigeria is also one of the largest markets for power generators in the world. With the current high cost of petrol, access to electricity has been reduced, especially in rural communities. According to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, with the high cost of petrol, an individual would need about N750 to generate 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Similarly, those who don’t have reasons to buy petrol feel the impact of the price hike whenever they intend to use public transport because commercial drivers have repeatedly jerked up  transport fares, provoking a rise in the prices of items in the markets.

The masses’ worry was compounded about two weeks after Tinubu’s inauguration when he also floated the naira as the cost of petrol rose again upon the devaluation of the exchange rate. However, the NNPC quickly introduced subsidy payment through the back door. While the landing cost of petrol was around N1,200, the NNPC sold it at half the price, based on the promise of the Federal Government to pay the shortfall. For close to a year, the NNPC sold the product at about N600/litre, denying claims that it was paying subsidies.

Recently, however, the energy firm admitted to selling below the cost price. The national oil company admitted that it owed its suppliers. It stated this when there seemed to be no way out of the lingering fuel queues at filling stations in the third quarter of 2024.

“NNPC Ltd has acknowledged recent reports in national newspapers regarding the company’s significant debt to petrol suppliers. This financial strain has placed considerable pressure on the company, and it poses a threat to the sustainability of fuel supply,” Soneye said in a statement in September.

Soon after Soneye’s statement in the ninth month of the year, the NNPC raised the PMS pump price from N600 to N855/litre or more, depending on the location. This significant hike coincided with the unveiling of the Dangote refinery’s PMS, fuelling concerns about what the future held for Nigerians who had hoped that the private refinery would crash the price of the product. The price later rose to N1,100/litre, a development that has forced many vehicles off the road, deepening the country’s economic crisis.

Earlier, crude oil refiners had told The PUNCH that local refineries in Nigeria would crash the price of petroleum products.

The Publicity Secretary of the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria, Eche Idoko, explained in June that what happened to the cost of diesel after Dangote started producing it would happen to petrol prices once it is being produced massively in Nigeria. Idoko had opined that PMS would sell at the rate of N300 per litre when the Dangote refinery came on board.

“If we begin to produce PMS today in large volumes, provided there is adequate crude oil supply, I can assure you that we should be able to buy PMS at N300/litre as the pump price.

“Why make Nigerians buy it at almost N700/litre when you know that if you allow refineries to work, the price will come down? Is it because you want to satisfy the global refiners abroad that are making so much from us?” Idoko said.

According to him, the sale of crude to Dangote would crash the prices of diesel and PMS.

“There is every tendency that before December, diesel prices will drop further. The only reason why diesel is not below N1,000/litre is because of our exchange rate. If the exchange rate drops, diesel will drop below the N1,000/litre price. Now the exchange rate concern is because Dangote imports crude. If he is not importing, the exchange rate may not have so much effect, though he is still buying crude in dollars (in Nigeria) anyway.”

When the Dangote refinery began production, it faced serious crude challenges. The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; his vice, Davakumar Edwin; and other officials of the company repeatedly accused international oil companies of refusing to sell crude to the refinery, thereby impacting its ability to produce cheaper fuels for Nigerians.

The company also accused the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission of failing to effectively enforce the domestic crude supply obligation, saying it was allowing the IOCs to sell crude through their foreign agents at a premium. Officials of the 650,000-capacity refinery told our correspondent in June that crude shortage was the main reason why the refinery kept postponing petrol production.

Dangote also slammed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for allegedly granting licenses for the importation of dirty fuel. In an attempt to defend the NMDPRA, the Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, irked Nigerians by saying the fuels produced by Dangote refinery and other local refineries were substandard compared to imported ones. Nigerians took to the media to bash the regulator. To the ordinary man on the street, some saboteurs would not allow them to enjoy cheaper PMS from Dangote. The support they gave to Dangote was because they thought the refinery would be a source of succour for them, but the reverse was the case.

To douse tension, President Tinubu waded in, approving the sale of crude oil to Dangote in naira. The President’s aide, Bayo Onanuga, who made the announcement in July, disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved that the 450,000 barrels meant for domestic consumption be offered in naira to Nigerian refineries, using the Dangote refinery as a pilot.

Onanuga also revealed that the exchange rate would be fixed for the duration of the transaction. Again, Nigerians became optimistic that the pump price of petrol would go down, especially if the Federal Government directed the NNPC to fix the exchange rate for the naira-for-crude deal. Our correspondent gathered that the government did not fix the exchange rate as earlier promised, making Dangote buy Nigeria’s expensive sweet and light crude at the international rate, though in naira.

After much delay, the Dangote refinery started PMS production in September, and the naira-for-crude deal commenced in October. Similarly, the NNPC announced that the Port Harcourt refinery had begun crude processing in November. However, all these have not crashed the price of PMS to N300 or N600 per litre.

PMS expensive in Nigeria—Report

Data released by GlobalPetrolPrices.com recently showed that after the total stoppage of petroleum subsidies, Nigeria now has one of the highest petrol prices on the continent among key oil producers.

GlobalPetrolPrices.com publishes wide-ranging and up-to-date information on retail energy prices around the world. The new information showed that among the top oil-producing countries in Africa, Gabon’s price came highest at $0.952, while Nigeria sold the product for $0.768 as of December.

Libya reportedly has the cheapest petrol price per litre of $0.031 in Africa and second globally. Angola also has cheaper fuel at $0.329. Egypt sells at $0.335 per litre; Algeria was selling for $0.343 per litre, while Sudan’s was $0.700, followed by Ethiopia at $0.718.

The report added that the average price of petrol around the world as of December was $1.24 per litre but with substantial differences in the prices among countries due to different taxes and levies.

“As a general rule, richer countries have higher prices, while poorer countries and the countries that produce and export oil have significantly lower prices. One notable exception is the United States, which is an economically advanced country but has low gas prices.

“The differences in prices across countries are due to the various taxes and subsidies for gasoline (petrol). All countries have access to the same petroleum prices of international markets but then decide to impose different taxes; hence the retail price of gasoline is different,” it added.

Globally, the report showed that Iran has the cheapest petrol price at $0.029, closely followed by other oil-producing countries like Libya, Venezuela, Angola, Egypt, Kuwait, Algeria, and Turkmenistan, among others, but Nigeria has a higher rate when it comes to petrol pricing.

Meanwhile, countries with the most expensive petrol prices per litre worldwide are Hong Kong at $3.31; Monaco at $2.24; Iceland at $2.20; Denmark at $2.05; Israel at $2.05; and the Netherlands at $2.05.

Dangote, NNPC ‘price war’

Lately, the Dangote Refinery and the NNPC appeared to have engaged in what some stakeholders described as a price war, slashing the ex-depot price of petrol below N1,000 per litre. As of the time of this report, most filling stations sell the product at N1,000, while a few sell above N900. However, this so-called price war did not push the cost to what Nigerians could afford in an oil-producing nation. At the moment, most Nigerians still believe they should not buy petrol above N500/litre.

A senior official of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Chris Onyeka, said the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited did not deserve any applause over the recent reduction in the pump price of petrol. Onyeka argued that the current pricing mechanism did not reflect the true cost of the commodity.

“Do you want us to clap for them? How can we be okay with a price of N935/litre of PMS? This is not the right price for PMS. You cannot base the price on imported products when we have refining capacity in Nigeria,” he said.

It could be recalled that some marketers once threatened to import PMS and sell it at a price far below what was being offered by the Dangote refinery and the NNPC. In early November, marketers under the aegis of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria said the association had struck deals with some international fuel suppliers to import PMS at a good price, adding that the product would arrive in Nigeria at a price around N800/litre.

Speaking further on the recent price drop, Onyeka argued that the costs embedded in the current pricing framework—including foreign labour, freight charges, insurance, logistics, and profits accrued abroad—unfairly burden Nigerians.

“Products are refined in Nigeria, yet the price you give Nigerians is based on imported products. Why should we applaud that? It is akin to someone stealing your money and returning only part of it, then expecting you to clap. We cannot applaud this,” he stated.

Chairman, Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said the reduced price of N935/litre was still expensive and unsatisfactory, noting that the government and private businesses could still give out free petrol to citizens.

“We believe that if NNPC and the private sector actually give out PMS for free, they will still not run their business at a loss, because the other derivatives of petroleum products can still serve them and can still make them break even. So, even at that N900 and something, it’s still expensive.

“We expected that PMS prices would drop below N200 when Dangote was to come on stream. So, it’s unfortunate that we are still talking about over N900, and they want us to jump up and rejoice for that. That is not satisfactory. They should just let us see the breakdown of their production cost and why it’s still there. I mean, there are countries like Libya under Gaddafi that gave out PMS for free, and they didn’t run anything at any loss. So, I believe that it can still go further down,” he said.

However, CORAN Publicity Secretary Idoko maintained that the price reductions were a testimony that the refineries were on the right path to bring down fuel prices.

Idoko insisted that the price reduction would continue provided the international price of crude remains stable as well as the exchange rate.

“As a matter of fact, we have started seeing the effect of local refining, at least from the refineries with both Dangote and the NNPC announcing a price reduction recently,” Idoko said, adding that “under the economy of scale, this price reduction would likely continue if the international price for crude remains stable and the naira continues to improve against the dollar.”

Asked if the masses should expect a reduction to N500/litre, Idoko retorted, “Well, we cannot tell yet. If the other variables that also affect the pricing of petroleum products reduce significantly, we would see a significant drop in price.”

Aside from the international price for crude oil and the foreign exchange rate, Idoko mentioned another variable as the continuation of the naira-for-crude arrangement, stating that ensuring crude is made available to local refineries will play a significant role in price rebates.

A professor of energy at the University of Lagos, Dayo Ayoade, expressed optimism that more competition is needed to drive the price down. He maintained that the Dangote refinery is more or less the only one producing optimally at the moment, saying the Port Harcourt refinery is yet to be fully on stream.

The don called for patience, saying the price would take time to experience any significant reduction. He maintained that two refineries are not enough to drive the prices down, asking what has happened to the Warri and Kaduna refineries. Ayoade stressed that investors would come to the downstream sector if the sector promised returns on investments.

“To drive the price down, you need competition, and when the local refineries start coming on stream, prices naturally will be low because it is about demand and supply. That’s the general economics of it. We have Dangote and Port Harcourt. The Port Harcourt refinery is not actually really online. Dangote is the one that is really producing, and the price is still high. It will take time for the price to come down; let’s not be in a hurry. In the long term, deregulation is in the interest of Nigerians to avoid the fraud that has been taking place in the downstream sector and to avoid policy flip-flops that have been destroying investments.

“When the sector is stable, we will attract foreign investments. People will invest in the downstream like in the upstream if they are assured of profit-making. So, there will be good news. BUA refinery will be online maybe next year or the year after. People should not worry; they should let other new refineries come on board. The more the refineries, the better for us. Now we can say we have a duopoly—two refineries. That’s not sufficient to drive prices down. What happens to Warri and Kaduna refineries?” the professor queried.

Meanwhile, as Nigerians lament Tinubu’s decision to suddenly remove subsidies, the president has said he had no regrets taking that decision immediately after he was sworn into office. Today, the president believes that the adoption of compressed natural gas would lessen the burden and give Nigerians cheaper and cleaner fuel, but the cost of converting a vehicle to CNG-compliant and the lack of refuelling stations have been a major hindrance. It appears Nigerians would still continue to buy pricey petroleum products except there is a miracle coming soon.

In their advice to the government, local refiners charged the federal government to peg the dollar at N1,000 for transactions done locally in the oil and gas sector, especially for the naira crude sale arrangement. This they said would enhance energy security and affordability.

The Federal Government FG has proposed N53bn to renovate 103 foreign missions, The PUNCH has learnt.

The funds will cover various needs, including renovations of chanceries, staff quarters, ambassadors’ residences, purchase of office furniture, and official vehicles, among others.

Allocations include N554m for the foreign mission in Abidjan; N812m for Banjul; N555m for Brazzaville; N558m for Port of Spain; N576m for Caracas; N624m for Kingston; N567m for Libreville; N409m for Buenos Aires, N899m for Niamey, among others.

The PUNCH had reported that despite the rising allocation to the missions, significant financial challenges remain, with sources estimating that almost $1bn was required to clear arrears and fully fund the nation’s 109 missions worldwide.

On taking office, President Bola Tinubu reassessed Nigeria’s foreign policy and initiated a recall of 83 ambassadors in September 2023.

However, the process of appointing new envoys has faced delays due to financial shortfalls.

The foreign affairs minister confirmed this, citing insufficient funding for essential embassy operations and ambassadorial support.

“There is no point sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated country and to run the missions effectively, one needs funding.

“Mr President is working on it, and it will be done in due course,” Tuggar said during a ministerial briefing in May 2023.

Senior Presidency and Foreign Service officials said the country needs around $1bn to clear backlogs of bills and adequately finance its 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates globally.

An official explained that resolving these issues requires substantial capital expenditure, adding that efforts are ongoing to address arrears and operational shortcomings.

He said, “You see, the major issue is money. Not money to pay them (ambassadors), because how much is their salary and benefits? The main money is CAPEX (capital expenditure). By the time they put the cost together to fix the issues; it is running to almost $1bn.

“Most of those embassies, almost 90 per cent, are rundown. The residence is not good, the embassy does not have a functional office, or their rent has expired. The embassies that are buoyant may not be up to 10 as we speak.”

Another official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to talk to the media, explained that the allowances of Foreign Service officers are pending.

The official said, “The money required now is for CAPEX to fix some of the residences and embassies, purchase vehicles and pay some of the arrears and overheads for some Foreign Service officers.

“Some of them are owed seven to eight months allowances. Some of them owe rent. The President is trying to iron that out before announcing the list.”

A Foreign Service staff member in one of the missions noted that sending ambassadors into such conditions without resolving these issues would leave them unable to perform their duties effectively.

The official noted, “If you send an ambassador here now, the embassy staff may look up to the ambassador to solve their problems. And the ambassador will be helpless.

“It’s even understandable now because the Head of Chancery and Chargé D’Affairs are civil servants like everyone here. So, we are all in the same boat. But once you send a political head like an ambassador, it’s like sending a president.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has invited the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar, the Director- General, Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, over what it called the poor allocation to the foreign affairs ministry in the 2025 budget proposal.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dunoma Ahmed, is also expected to appear alongside the ministers before the committee on January 14, the Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Oluwole Oke, disclosed to The PUNCH on Monday.

Oke, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Osun State, noted that the N287bn allocated for recurrent (non-debt) expenditures in the 2025 budget proposal was not enough to meet the ministry’s needs, particularly the funding of the nation’s foreign missions.

In the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2024, by President Bola Tinubu; the Foreign Affairs Ministry was allocated N66.88bn for capital expenditure and N286.88bn for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure.

Tagged, ‘The 2025 Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,’ the total estimate is N47.90tn, subject to the passage by the National Assembly.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Monday, Oke said, “The House Committee on Foreign Affairs has invited the Minister for Budget and National Planning, DG Budget Office, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs over poor allocation in the 2025 budget proposal. They are to appear before us on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

“The needs assessment conducted by the ministry showed that they need N1.5tn. Assuming the Federal Government of Nigeria cannot meet this in a single financial year and working in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Medium Term Expenditure Framework approved by the Parliament for the 2025 budget formulation, the least the ministry and her missions should get should not be less than N500bn.  We need also to be mindful of the unstable exchange rate.”

According to him, the ministry’s programmes in 2025 would require huge funding, citing the annual subscriptions to dozens of international organisations and allowances for Foreign Service officers.

“We have a lot of subscriptions to international organisations to be paid including passage allowances to Foreign Service Officers, United Nations General Assembly in 2025 to be catered for among others,” he said.

He observed that the poor funding of the ministry might be a plot to frustrate the Federal Government’s effort in projecting a positive image before the global community.

“I hope the ministers and DG Budget Office are not out to undermine Mr President who is the chief marketer of Nigeria or if you like, the chief diplomat of Nigeria,” he added.

While acknowledging the N13tn proposed for debt servicing in the 2025 fiscal year; the lawmaker said foreign missions should be allowed to own properties using the mortgage model.

He continued, “We need to allow the missions to acquire properties using mortgages ditto for car leasing because these are the models in most host countries.

‘’We can thereafter budget annually for servicing the mortgages in our budgets rather than paying huge rents in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and several other missions.

“We need a clause in the Finance Bill to allow missions to acquire properties using mortgages or loans to fix our dilapidated properties like in New York, Washington, Atlanta, Canada, Abidjan, Conakry, Sierra Leone, Windhoek, Paris, Brussels, Hague, Rome, Holy Sea, Vienna, Kampala, Addis Ababa, and so many others. This will solve our problems perpetually.”

The PDP lawmaker lamented the tough environment under which the ministry and missions are operating, alleging it was artificially created.

“The ministry and missions are also suffering from self-inflicted problems stemming from non-disclosure of their problems and accountability. They’re just suffering and smiling.

“During oversights to some of the missions, you will see a Charge D’Affairs or Finance Attaches running away or hiding records not knowing that the exercise is to redefine their operational system from the old and put them on auto cruising of prosperity,” he noted.

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Tuesday, described the restoration of the Warri Refinery as a significant breakthrough for the nation’s petroleum industry and a New Year gift to Nigerians.

Okpebholo also congratulated President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for the successful restart of the 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company.

These were contained in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua.

Okpebholo hailed Tinubu for his reform in the sector, which he said has started yielding positive results for the advancement of the economy and called on Nigerians to support him.

The statement read, “The restoration of the 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company marks a turnaround in the nation’s petroleum sector.

“I hail President Tinubu for the reform in the sector, which has started yielding positive results and this will lead to the advancement of the economy. I urge Nigerians to support the president.

“With the Warri, Port Harcourt and Dangote refineries working simultaneously, there is hope that the petroleum sector is taking a new turn.

“I want to join other numerous Nigerians to congratulate President Tinubu and the NNPCL under Mele Kyari for successfully reviving the Warri Refinery. For me, this is certainly a New Year gift to Nigerians. Edo State will continue to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government to restore our national pride and make Nigeria a hub for crude oil refining in Africa.”