President Bola Tinubu has again defended his administration’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy, dismissing calls for the policy to be reversed as a “demonstration of serious ignorance on governance and the economy”.

Tinubu made the remarks on Thursday while receiving Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He did not identify the opponent whose position he was referring to.

“Okay, let’s look at the trajectory of history. I saw one of my opponents now say he will go back to subsidy.

“I read it. That is a demonstration of serious ignorance on governance and economy,” he said.

The President argued that the subsidy removal was necessary to strengthen government finances and enable states to meet their responsibilities to citizens.

He recalled that 27 state governments were unable to pay workers’ salaries before he assumed office in 2023 and had to rely on financial support from the Federal Government.

“Before I came here, 27 states were unable to pay salaries, not to even talk of pensioners, salaries of workers.

“In your state. I know a man who’s nicknamed Half Salary. They come to the federal, cap in hand, unable to do anything. The salary you pay feeds families,” he said.

Tinubu stressed that a large share of Nigeria’s population lives outside the Federal Capital and that state governments therefore have a major responsibility for delivering infrastructure and essential services.

“They were at the local governments. They are in the states. Where is the concentration of population? They are in the states.

“Take out the President. Regard every other person as common men, their families to feed.

“The infrastructure you embark upon on the road network, housing, school rehabilitation, hospital, healthcare pronouncements, resuscitation of healthcare, training of teachers, training of health workers to protect our vulnerable families is part of your responsibility,” he added.

Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The policy immediately became one of the most controversial aspects of his administration, as petrol prices rose and higher transportation and production costs contributed to broader cost-of-living pressures.

Despite sustained criticism from Nigerians and opposition figures, the President has continued to maintain that the decision was necessary to protect the country’s long-term economic stability.

In May, Tinubu said the removal of the subsidy had prevented an imminent national bankruptcy and created the basis for a gradual economic recovery.

The Federal Government has also continued to highlight the financial resources made available following the reform.

On Wednesday, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the removal of the petrol subsidy generated ₦15.8 trillion in resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

Oyedele explained that the amount was reflected in the resources available to the three tiers of government rather than appearing as a separate credit to the Federation Account labelled “subsidy savings”.

“Between June 2023 and December 2025, subsidy savings mobilised the sum of N15.8 trillion in resources for the Federation.

“Many people will say, where is the subsidy savings? As a matter of fact, there wasn’t any alert to the Federation Account with the description ‘subsidy savings’,” Oyedele said.

The latest defence by Tinubu comes amid an ongoing debate over the economic impact of subsidy removal, with the government pointing to increased fiscal resources and critics continuing to raise concerns about its effect on household incomes and the cost of living.

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has reassured residents of Mangu Local Government Area that his administration will take every necessary step to protect their lives, property and ancestral lands following a deadly attack in the area.

Mutfwang gave the assurance on Thursday during a visit to Bin Mper community in the Kombun District of Mangu, where several people were killed and others injured in the recent attack.

The governor described the incident as barbaric, senseless and unacceptable, stressing that the loss of innocent lives was not only an attack on the affected community but also a direct affront to him and the Plateau State Government.

Addressing residents, particularly women in the community, Mutfwang said the government would strengthen existing security arrangements and introduce additional measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities.

“This is not an attack on the community alone; it is an attack on me. I pray that God will grant you peace and comfort. The police have said that some persons have been arrested, and we will follow the matter to its logical conclusion,” he said.

The governor noted that the attack occurred shortly after the state government reviewed its security architecture in collaboration with security agencies, including the new General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Nigerian Army.

He called for more proactive, intelligence-led and coordinated security operations, emphasising the need to prevent attacks on vulnerable communities before they occur.

Mutfwang condoled with families who lost loved ones and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured. He also commended Plateau youths for their courage and resilience in supporting efforts to secure their communities.

He urged residents to remain peaceful, vigilant and law-abiding, noting that tackling insecurity would require stronger cooperation among communities, traditional institutions, government authorities and security agencies.

The governor expressed confidence that sustained military operations and collective determination would help Plateau State overcome banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities threatening the peace of the state.

Before visiting the community, Mutfwang received a security briefing from the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Nigerian Army.

He also visited the Mishkagham Mwaghavul, Da. John Putmang Hirse, to sympathise with the traditional ruler, bereaved families and the wider Mwaghavul community over the attack.

Mutfwang assured the traditional ruler that his administration would not abandon the people and reaffirmed its commitment to tackling banditry and other forms of criminality across the state.

He was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Mrs. Abiodun Esiet, senior government officials and heads of security agencies in Plateau State.

In his response, Hirse thanked the governor for standing with the community during its period of grief. He described the attack as senseless and deliberate.

“This is something we least expected. People were asleep when they were massacred. Mangu is one of the most peaceful local government areas. We live peacefully with our neighbours and accommodate visitors, yet we were attacked,” he said.

The traditional ruler assured that the Mwaghavul people would continue to remain peaceful and law-abiding, insisting that intimidation would not force them to abandon their ancestral land.

Also speaking, the President of the Mwaghavul Development Association Women’s Wing, Mrs. Grace Gora, sympathised with the bereaved families and urged residents, particularly women, to remain calm while supporting government and security agencies working to restore peace.

The attack on Amper in the BWI District of Mangu on Tuesday left several people dead, while others were still reported missing. It was the third attack recorded in Mangu within a week, heightening concerns over the safety of residents.

Following the incident, the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Maxwell Dangana, moved his tactical office to Mangu for two weeks as the military commenced Operation Hard Nut, aimed at flushing out terrorists and restoring normalcy in the area.

The Plateau State Police Command also confirmed the arrest of a suspect linked to the attack.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has inaugurated a new interim board to oversee the operations of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDC), following the dissolution of the company’s former Board of Directors.

NERC announced the development in a post on its official X handle on Friday, stating that the new board was inaugurated on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

The intervention followed KAEDC’s repeated failure to meet its market obligations and prescribed performance targets, prompting the regulator to take action to strengthen the company’s operations.

Through Order No. NERC/2026/08, the Commission dissolved the previous Board of Directors and established a five-member Interim Board of Special Directors.

The new board is chaired by Dr. Abdullahi Garba and will serve an initial one-year term.

NERC also appointed Abubakar Umar Hashidu as the Interim Administrator of KAEDC for an initial period of six months.

“The new leadership is expected to drive the restructuring of the distribution company, improve its performance and ensure compliance with applicable market obligations,” NERC stated.

Following the inauguration, officials of NERC, members of the new board, KAEDC management and staff embarked on stakeholder engagement visits in Kaduna.

The delegation first visited the headquarters of the One Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna, where they were received by the General Officer Commanding and other senior officers.

The team subsequently visited the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna and met with the Commandant and other principal officers of the institution.

The visits were part of the new management’s efforts to strengthen engagement with key stakeholders as KAEDC begins operating under the interim leadership structure.

The intervention is expected to support the restructuring of the electricity distribution company, improve service delivery and ensure that KAEDC meets its regulatory and market obligations.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic investigation into the Federal Government’s administrative and payroll systems following the discovery of fictitious government agencies within the public service.

The directive was disclosed on Wednesday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The investigation follows the controversy surrounding the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which reportedly gained access to parts of the Federal Government’s administrative structure.

ICPC Probe Triggers Wider Government Investigation

According to Oyedele, an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) showed that the PFIPC case was not an isolated incident.

The findings reportedly raised questions about the internal processes and controls that allowed fictitious entities to gain official recognition within government.

As a result, President Tinubu directed a broader forensic review of the systems involved.

“Mr President gave us the updates about the work the ICPC has done, and as a result of that, the council has directed that we commission a forensic investigation that will look into our processes, our procedures, internal control weaknesses that allow some of these things to happen.”

Tinubu Extends Forensic Audit to IPPIS

The President has also ordered that the investigation cover the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), amid concerns that weaknesses in the system could potentially allow fictitious employees to be added to the government payroll.

Oyedele said the possibility of fake workers entering the payroll was a major concern following the discovery of fictitious agencies.

“If you have fake agencies, you most likely have fake employees,” the minister said.

He noted that the government could not afford to pay non-existent workers, particularly as significant resources are being committed to improving salaries and allowances for legitimate public servants.

Oyedele disclosed that the Federal Government had deployed ₦9.495 trillion generated from subsidy savings and increased revenues towards additional salaries and allowances for civil servants.

How Fake Agencies Obtained Government Codes

Another major concern is how the fictitious entities managed to progress through official government procedures and obtain administrative and Treasury Single Account (TSA) codes.

Oyedele explained that the entities were able to register within the government system and obtain the codes required to establish official accounts.

“They managed to register and obtain an administrative code as well as a TSA code. The only thing that didn’t happen was that we didn’t pay any money to those accounts.”

Although no government funds were ultimately paid into the accounts, the minister said the fact that the fictitious agencies reached that stage exposed weaknesses in the existing administrative and financial controls.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance have consequently been directed to work with relevant institutions to investigate the matter from administrative, accounting and governance perspectives.

Professional audit firms are also expected to participate in the forensic investigation.

ICPC Uncovers More Fictitious Government Agencies

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the ICPC investigation uncovered additional fictitious agencies beyond the PFIPC controversy.

According to Idris, investigators identified at least two more fake agencies within the government system.

The discovery has raised further questions about the procedures used to establish and recognise government institutions.

“The President was informed that it is not just about the so-called Presidential Foreign Promotion Council and the fake DG that was there, but that there were at least two additional fake agencies that were in that process.”

Idris said Tinubu had directed the Attorney-General and Finance Minister to jointly assess the Federal Government’s administrative and accounting procedures.

The review is expected to establish how the fictitious entities navigated government processes, identify those responsible and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.

FG Moves to Close Administrative Loopholes

The controversy has now developed into a wider assessment of vulnerabilities within the Federal Government’s bureaucracy.

Rather than limiting the investigation to the agencies already identified, the administration wants to determine whether similar incidents may have occurred elsewhere.

Idris said the President was concerned about the possibility of other weaknesses within the government system.

“The President is not just looking at this; he is looking at the possibility that this may also have occurred elsewhere.”

The forensic audit is therefore expected to examine government procedures, internal controls, payroll systems and financial processes while identifying potential loopholes that could be exploited to create fictitious institutions or workers.

The outcome could lead to administrative reforms aimed at strengthening verification, accountability and oversight across the Federal Government’s public service systems.