He's not a man of his words
NLC is holding Tinubu by the throat until he fulfills his promise
Adulting is such a different ballgame. The things that make me happy as an adult are so crazy. Like the plastic containers I got this weekend to store food in my freezer. And the perfection that is The Big Daily!
- Margaret
Word count: ~1,000
Reading time ~3 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
NLC accuses Tinubu of leaning towards dictatorship
Edo refinery still struggling to get crude despite talks with NNPC
NYSC has no plans to raise corps members’ allowance to ₦70,000 yet
The Big Deal
NLC accuses Tinubu of leaning towards dictatorship
If President Tinubu woke up angry today, it’s because the National Labour Congress might have pissed him off by saying something the whole country wants to say.
The #EndBadGovernance protests created a shift in the country’s atmosphere but not the kind of shift Nigerians wanted. Citizens from different parts of the country came out in troops to protest and the government waved a “don’t be so dramatic” card in their faces.
Some Nigerians have taken to social media to drag the government’s response to the protests but NLC is taking a more big-boy approach by calling the president out directly. They also accused the president of leaning towards the edge of dictatorship and framing innocent citizens with false charges.
It's been days since the president told Nigerians that he was open to exploring dialogue. NLC is now asking him to be a man of his word by holding “an inclusive stakeholders’ conclave to discuss the pressing issues confronting Nigeria and chart a path forward that addresses the root causes of the current unrest – hunger, poverty, inflation, insecurity and widespread dissatisfaction with government policies.”
Why is this a big deal?
Section 40 of the Nigerian constitution gives #EndBadGovernance protesters the right to protest but we’re not sure President Tinubu is fazed by this law. At least 1,135 people arrested during the protest were reportedly charged in court yesterday. Some protesters were also allegedly abducted from their homes while others were killed.
These senseless killings and arrests haven’t inspired any action from the Tinubu-led administration – just lots of talk and more promises without a deadline.
NLC stands as the voice of the average citizen and we hope their efforts will lead to justice for the families of deceased and detained protesters.
Edo refinery still struggling to get crude despite talks with NNPC
The oil guys in Nigeria have stuck to the “make money and talk less” mantra for the longest time but looks like that mantra has lost substance in the last few months. Now, a new bombshell has entered the troubled oil villa – the Edo Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Limited (ERPCL).
This is the latest refinery to get roped into the ongoing shortage of crude oil despite the fact that the refinery can fully process 1,000 barrels per day. The shortage makes no sense to ERPCL because all they need is less than 2% of Nigeria's daily crude oil production.
ERPCL has been meeting with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) about getting crude oil for the refinery, but nothing has been done.
ERPCL also pointed out that smaller refineries like theirs are at the worst end of the supply shortage and they believe that the lack of support for smaller refineries is disrespectful to their potential contribution to the economy. They also believe that if local investors can't get crude, it sends a negative message to foreign investors that could lead to loss of million- dollar opportunities for Nigeria.
Larger players like the Dangote refinery have complained of similar problems. This has been a major torn in Alike Dangote’s skin for months now. But things seem to finally be looking good for the refinery as it's set to start operating later in the month.
NYSC has no plans to raise corps members’ allowance to ₦70,000 yet
We don’t know who started the rumours but the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has cleared the claim that they intend to pay corps members a minimum wage of ₦70,000.
If you know a corp member or an intending corp member, hold their hands when you tell them that NYSC has no official plan to raise corps members' allowances to ₦70,000, despite what some reports might say. Eddy Megwa, the NYSC's Information Director, told corps members and the public to ignore these false claims.
In 2020, the NYSC raised allowances from ₦19,800 to ₦33,000. Recently, President Tinubu signed a new minimum wage law that raises the national minimum wage to ₦70,000. Whoever started the rumours must have assumed that this applies to corp members too but unfortunately, it doesn’t. At least for now.
This Week’s Big Question
“If could get a nepo-advantage to become an Olympian, what sport would you play?”
Ray’s response - “Definitely breakdancing. It seems like a category where people can mess around and still walk away with bronze medals.”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Ray’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
Police raid NLC complex for evidence against suspect threatening Nigeria’s democracy: Police say they raided the NLC complex in Abuja last Wednesday to find evidence against a suspect considered a threat to Nigeria’s democracy. The search focused on the second floor, where they aimed to uncover documents linking the suspect to international subversive activities.
Heritage Bank: Why 17.64% Depositors Haven’t Been Paid — NDIC: The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) reports that 82.36% of the insured depositors of the now-defunct Heritage Bank have been reimbursed following the Central Bank of Nigeria's revocation of the bank's license on June 3, 2024.
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