There are strong indications that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has barred all ex-Niger Delta militant leaders from visiting him in the presidential villa, Abuja.
Already, reports say that requests for courtesy visits by notable militant leaders and ethnic militias from the oil-rich region to the president in the villa have lately been disapproved by the presidency.
It was gathered that the decision was taken in the aftermath of the visit to Tinubu by the leader of the defunct Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, (NDPVF), Mujarhedeen Asari-Dokubo, on June 16 this year.
Asari-Dokubo, a die-hard supporter of the Tinubu administration, showed his support, in backing and supporting the president in the run-up to the 2023 presidential election and post.
It was gathered that the president was disturbed by some of the public utterances and actions of Asari-Dokubo in the aftermath of his visit, to him days after he assumed the mantle of leadership of the country.
it was gathered that Tinubu was bothered that the “verbal vituperations and militant activities” of the former militant leader in the Niger Delta were subsequently linked to him after the June audience.
As he stepped out of the Villa, Asari-Dokubo, in a chat with the State House reporters, took on the Armed Forces, accusing its personnel of being neck-deep in economic sabotage, especially crude oil theft and vandalism of oil equipment in the region.
The allegation, it was revealed, embarrassed and shocked the presidency most especially because the shocking revelation was made moments after departing his office.
Dokubo’s outbursts against the military within the vicinity of the villa gave the inkling that the president shared the same views with the notable ex-militant commander.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the presidency was ruffled by the attacks on the president by notable Nigerians over the utterances and actions of Asari-Dokubo, especially his effrontery in the reckless public assemblage of gun-wielding youths in his enclave in Rivers State.
The gun-bearing renegades often appeared in viral videos with Asari-Dokubo, assuming commanding roles.
Asari-Dokubo’s unacceptable conduct in the eyes of the presidency moved beyond tolerable level when he took on the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, threatening to deal with the chief executive of the oil-rich state.
The presidency was said to be irked that his association with the president continued to give a wrong signal to the public that he enjoyed the support and backing of the nation’s number one citizen and would longer be hosting people with such reputations.
journalists learnt that the president has ordered that he would no longer play host to the ex-militant commanders and militias in the villa apparently to forestall the negative impression and unenviable signal such association was likely to create in the psyche of the public.
All individuals known to be linked with the Niger Delta ethnic crisis and oil industry unrest in the region, who requested for courtesy visits and audience with the president in the aftermath of the Asari-Dokubo’s experience, had their applications declined by the Presidency.
The president was said to have resolved to distance himself from some militant leaders (names withheld) in view of his experience with Asari-Dokubo.
A notable militant from the region, who made a request for an audience with the president last week, lamented to LEADERSHIP that his application was declined by the authorities in the nation’s seat of power.
The militant, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned in print, said the presidency shunned all entreaties to enable him to meet with the President.
He said top officials of the presidency pointedly informed him that the President was not disposed to meeting with members of his group.
“I planned to lead my group to see Mr. President and we sent in our request as usual for that courtesy call in July. We have been waiting patiently for the approval of our application and likely date for me to lead members of my Niger Delta group for an audience with Mr. President. But surprisingly, I got a telephone call that the proposed visit was declined.
“I exerted desperate pressure but the presidency refused to buckle. When I challenged them on why Asari-Dokubo was allowed to see Mr. President and they are preventing me, they were forced to tell me that the experience of the presidency after the visit of that name that I mentioned (Asari-Dokubo) informed the decision to bar all former militant commanders from further interactive meetings with Mr. President,” the source added.
Tinubu Allegedly Bans Ex-Militants From Aso Rock
Ethiopian MPS Approve State Of Emergency In Amhara Region
Ethiopia’s House of People’s Representatives have voted in favour of the state of emergency declared by the federal government over violence in the Amhara region.
Tesfaye Beljige, Government Chief Whip announced that the move had become necessary as any security issues shaking the constitutional order, present a danger to the sovereignty of the country.
Clashes between members of the Ethiopian army and a local militia known as Fano erupted earlier in the month in towns and cities across Amhara after months of tensions.
According to eyewitnesses, an air strike has killed at least 26 people in Ethiopia’s embattled Amhara region, Monday, as deadly clashes rock the region.
The strike in Finote Selam on Sunday was the most severe since clashes between members of the Ethiopian army and a local militia known as Fano erupted in towns and cities across Amhara after months of tensions.
A hospital official said he heard the blast while he was on duty at around 0700 GMT the all the victims who arrived in hospital were wearing either casual civilian clothing or Sunday traditional clothes”.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government imposed a six-month state of emergency across Amhara on August 4 and several cities remain under curfew, although violence eased towards the end of last week.
Hawaiian Families Await News Of Loved Ones As Search Continues
Search efforts have continued for more victims of the Maui wildfires, with the death toll reaching 96 and hundreds of people still unaccounted for.
Nearly a week after the fast-moving fire leveled most of the historic resort town on Tuesday, many residents were still unable to return to the site of the fire due to the risks posed by possible hot spots and toxic fumes.
Officials are warning through that identifying victims would be a grim and difficult task, given that the fire burned so intensely that metal structures had melted in the heat.
In a video posted on social media on Monday,Hawaii Governor Josh Green said at least 2,200 buildings were destroyed in the fire, 86% of them residential.
The intense and fast-moving blaze was the deadliest natural disaster in the state of Hawaii’s history and the toll of 96 is the largest number of deaths from an American wildfire since 1918, when 453 people died in the Cloquet Fire in Minnesota.
In the meantime, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell at a White House briefing on Monday said more cadaver dogs were on their way to Lahaina, but that the search was “extremely hazardous” and would take time.
Jeremy Greenberg, FEMA’s director of response operations, told reporters said more than 3,200 residents of Hawaii have registered to receive federal assistance, and that number is expected to rise.
ECOWAS Condemns Niger Junta’s Threat To Prosecute President Bazoum
West African regional bloc ECOWAS has condemned Niger coup leaders’ threat to prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for what they claim is high treason.
ECOWAS said in a statement that the move was a form of provocation by Niger’s coup leaders and contradicts their reported willingness to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis.
Similarly, on Monday, the United States had earlier voiced outrage over threats by Niger’s military rulers to try detained President Mohamed Bazoum, saying the move would worsen tensions.
US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that the action was completely unwarranted and unjustified and would in no way contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
In the same vein the African Union (AU), on Monday, held talks on the ongoing political impasse in Niger.
The meeting, held in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, was attended by the AU Commission, Chief Moussa Faki Mahamat, as well as representatives from Niger and the West African bloc ECOWAS.
The meeting was held to review developments in Niger, following the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum given to the military junta to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Niger’s military last month imprisoned President Mohamed Bazoum and assumed power, drawing condemnation from international powers who have threatened military action as a last resort while also saying they aim to resolve the situation peacefully.
NNPC – No Further Plan For Petrol Price Hike
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has revealed that it has “no plan” to raise the pump price per litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol.
This was revealed in a post by the company late Monday night, on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, stressing that the national oil firm and major importer of petrol into Nigeria, had no intention to increase the pump price of petrol.
Increase in fuel price informed by market realities – NNPCL
“Dear esteemed customers, we at NNPCL Retail value your patronage, and we do not have the intention to increase our PMS pump prices as widely speculated.
“Please buy the best quality products at the most affordable prices at our NNPCL Retail stations nationwide,” the company stated.
Ln247 reports that oil marketers had on Sunday indicated that the cost of petrol would rise to between N680/litre and N720/litre in the coming weeks should the dollar continue to trade from N910 to N950 at the parallel market.
They also hinted that dealers seeking to import PMS were being forced to put the plans on hold due to the scarcity of foreign exchange to import the commodity.
Typhoon Khanun: No Deaths, Injuries Reported As Officials Evacuate 2,000 People In Russia
Russia says more than 2,000 people, including 405 children, were evacuated from the country’s eastern region of Primorsky amid flooding caused by heavy rains brought by Typhoon Khanun.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said on Telegram that 16 municipalities in the region remain flooded, while 4,368 residential buildings, 5,654 personal plots, and 43 sections of highways were still underwater.
“Twenty-eight settlements were cut off by water. Nine boat crossings were organized. There are 13 temporary accommodation centers, where there are already 550 people, including over 160 children,” the statement added.
Rescue teams have reached the affected area.
“In the Oktyabrsky District, Ussuriysk and Spassk-Dalny, the peak of the flood has passed. Water has been drained from Khorolsky and Mikhaylovsky districts. Emergency and restoration work is being carried out,” it further said.
So far, no deaths or injuries have been reported and humanitarian aid is being delivered to the region with the help of Mi-8 helicopters.
Drought: Key Spanish Lagoon Dries Out For Second Summer In A Row
The largest permanent lagoon in drought-hit southern Spain’s Donana natural park, home of one of Europe’s largest wetlands, has completely dried out for the second summer in a row.
A huge patch of cracked white earth has replaced the waters of the Santa Olalla lagoon, which usually houses abundant aquatic life and huge colonies of migrating birds.
The lagoon — which once covered around 45 hectares (110 acres) — has been shrinking in recent years but this is the first time that it has dried out for two consecutive years, according to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
Scientists blame the lagoon’s disappearance on a prolonged drought combined with the overexploitation of aquifers for farming and tourism.
Most lagoons in the reserve are temporary, filling with rainwater in winter and then drying out in the summer but a few contain water year-round, providing an important refuge for animal life.
The Donana national park is surrounded by a sea of greenhouses and the Matalascanas resort town is located less than a kilometre from the northernmost lagoons of the reserve.
The Dona reserve boasts marshlands, scrub woodland and beaches and is home to deer, badgers and endangered species including the Spanish imperial eagle and the Iberian lynx.
But at the Santa Olalla lagoon where wild horses once drank water surrounded by storks and flamingos, they now graze alone on the few tufts of grass they find growing from the cracked earth.
Despite warnings from UNESCO and the European Commission, the conservative regional government of Andalusia where Donana is located is pushing to extend irrigation rights near the park.
A draft law currently making its way through the regional parliament would regularise hundreds of hectares of berry farmland currently irrigated by illegal wells.
Defenders of the proposal argue it will aid those who unfairly missed out during a previous regularisation of farms in the area put in place in 2014 under a Socialist government.
Forex: CBN Moves to Stop Naira Free Fall
The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it is set to take new measures to stabilise the naira against the dollar.
Acting Governor of the CBN, Folasodun Sonubi, made the disclosure to State House Correspondents after briefing President Bola Tinubu on what the bank was doing the halt the slide on Monday at the State House.
He said President Tinubu expressed his concern about the impact of recent developments in the foreign exchange market, particularly on ordinary citizens.
CBN Loans May Cost Nigeria 40% of Foreign Reserves
Sonubi said he assured the President that the CBN is actively working to improve liquidity and stability in the market, including addressing issues in the parallel market.
Sonubi stressed that the fluctuations in the parallel market are not solely driven by economic factors, but also by speculative demand.
The apex bank governor said while he would not disclose specific details, he warned speculators that the CBN’s upcoming initiatives could potentially lead to significant losses for them.
He said the primary purpose of his presence at the presidential villa was to reassure the President that the CBN is taking decisive action to address the concerns raised.
He expressed confidence that the measures being implemented would yield positive outcomes within a few days.
According to him, the CBN’s ultimate goal is to create an efficient and reasonable operating environment that minimise negative impacts on the average Nigerian’s life.
He assured that the CBN remains committed to ensuring stability and improving the overall economic landscape.
He said: “Mr President is very concerned about some of the goings on in the foreign exchange market. One of the things we discussed is what could be done to stabilise and what could be done to improve the liquidity in the market and also the goings on in the various other markets, including the parallel market.
“He’s concerned about its impact on the average person, since, unfortunately, a lot of activities that we do, which are purely local, are still referenced to exchange rates in the parallel market.
“We’ve discussed and I’ve shared with him what we’re doing to improve supply. If you look at the official market, you’ll find that that market has been fairly stable and the spreads of the difference have not fluctuated as much.
“We do not believe that the changes going on in the parallel market are driven by pure economic demand and supply, but are touched by speculative demand from people.
“Some of the plans and strategies, which I’m not at liberty to share with you, means sooner rather than later, the speculators should be careful because we believe the things we’re doing, when they come to fruition, may result in significant losses to them.
“But my presence here is more about the concerns the President has and his needs to know that we are doing something about it, assurances of which I have given him totally.
“So I hope this helps. We are looking at it and we’re doing things that will significantly impact the market in a few days time and we will all see it.
“The intention is to ensure the environment operates at a level that’s more efficient, but also that is also very reasonable and does not have a negative impact to the best that we can on the lives of the average person.”
Indonesia Disaster Agency Warns Of Drought In Java, Bali Amid El Niño
Indonesia is expecting a longer dry season, lasting until October, due to the El Niño weather pattern, threatening clean water supply and increasing the risk of forest fires, the country’s disaster agency said on Monday.
Indonesia’s weather agency has pushed back its forecast for the peak of the dry season due to El Niño’s impact to September and October, compared with its previous estimate of August to September, Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the disaster agency BNPB, told an online media briefing.
This has the potential to exacerbate drought in islands below the equator in the archipelago, which include Java – home to over 150 million people, as well as Bali and Nusa Tenggara.
“It has been two months of dry weather in Java and it’s worrying because the extreme impact of El Niño will last until October,” Abdul said, warning that water levels at a reservoir near Jakarta have significantly dropped.
This year’s dry season is expected to be the most severe since 2019, partially due to the return of El Niño, the weather agency has previously said.
Six have died in a remote, mountainous region in the country’s eastern Papua region, where thousands are facing hunger brought on by drought, authorities said in July.
Authorities also warned that some provinces, such as Aceh in the northern tip of Sumatra island, had experienced frequent forest fires in recent weeks even though the country’s total number of forest fires in July were lower than in 2019.
The disaster agency recorded 75 fires in July, compared to 115 in the same month in 2019.
The Southeast Asian nation experienced devastating forest fires in 2015 and 2019 that blanketed the country and parts of Southeast Asia region with haze. The 2019 fires caused about $5.2 billion of economic losses in the eight Indonesian provinces, according to the World Bank.
Sicily’s Catania Airport Closes As Mount Etna Erupts
Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted on Monday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna, local authorities said, bringing fresh travel woe to the crisis-plagued Italian airport.
The 3,330 metre (10,925 ft) high volcano burst into action overnight, firing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island. The lava flow subsided before dawn, but ash was still coming from one of the craters.
Flights to and from Catania, a popular tourist destination, will remain suspended until 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Tuesday morning, the airport operator said in a statement, dashing hopes they could resume on Monday night.
Passengers were advised to check with airlines before heading to the airport on Tuesday.
Incoming flights were diverted to other airports on Sicily on Monday. It is the peak of the summer holiday season in Italy where Tuesday is a public holiday.
Catania Mayor Enrico Trantino banned the use of motorcycles and bicycles in the city for the next 48 hours, because many streets were covered in ash, and ordered cars to drive no faster than 30 kph (19 mph) due to the skiddy conditions.
The latest cancellations at Catania airport, which attracts more arrivals than the island’s capital, Palermo, came a month after a fire at a terminal building led to weeks of disruptions for passengers.
The last major eruption of Etna was in 1992.
