You can't put the blame on me
The federal government is tired of being blamed for fuel scarcity and price hike
Good morning, Big Brains. I’ve just come to the harsh realisation that the average Nigerian can’t get too far away from poverty. Data slaps differently when the sample size is the people you see everyday. But for realsies though, na like this we go dey dey?
- Margaret
Word count: ~1,000
Reading time ~3 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
FG denies involvement in fuel price hike
Dangote refinery rolls out first batch of petrol, vows to maintain world-class quality
10 #EndBadGovernance protesters charged with treason
The Big Deal
FG denies involvement in fuel price hike
Looks like Akon is the only man in the entire universe that will let anyone “put the blame on him”. But the men in Aso Rock? Those ones are doing all they can to avoid being blamed by citizens.
Yesterday, we told you that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is in crazy debt and it’s been affecting fuel prices. The federal government has put out a PSA, saying that it didn’t authorise the sale of fuel for ₦1,000/litre.
It also “categorically condemns these claims as baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent.”
Why is this a big deal?
One can argue that FG doesn’t care that much about Nigerians. What we see is a very proactive (and we use this word loosely) public relations team and a lack of true concern for the discomfort across the country.
To understand the severity of the fuel scarcity through the lens of the average Nigerian, Margaret went to a few filling stations in Lagos. Many of them were locked but you’d never have guessed because at least 50 cars were waiting.
On her way to the next filling station, she got stuck in traffic and saw the most laughable yet disturbing thing – a young man hawking what appeared to be 5 litres of fuel at ₦9,000. That’s at least ₦1,800/litre, yet people were more than happy to take a few kegs off his hands.
And it’s not just in Lagos, a TBD reader living in Abuja told us that he had initially budgeted ₦50,000 for a full tank this week but he ended up spending ₦63,000. So we speak for all Nigerians when we tell FG that nobody cares whose fault this price hike is, we just want things fixed.
Dangote refinery rolls out first batch of petrol, vows to maintain world-class quality
LinkedIn influencers are about to have a feast this week because our man Aliko Dangote finally did the damn thing!
Dangote refinery has finally rolled out the first batch of petrol from its 650,000 barrel-per-day facility. Dangote has been trying to achieve this goal since June but it’s been one disappointment to another. Chile, we almost gave up on that man’s behalf but we’re glad he saw it to the end because he has promised that we “are now going to have good petrol while the engines of your vehicles will last longer.”
We’re not sure if it’s the entrepreneur in him selling his product with the words that his target audience wants to hear but he also made bold claims that the quality of the refinery’s fuel will match that of anywhere else in the world.
If you’re wondering when you can get some of this petroleum goodness, Dangote said it’s all up to NNPCL but the refinery is ready to make their fuel available to the public in the next 24-48 hours.
He didn’t say much about how much a litre of his fuel will cost but it will most likely be cheaper and more available than NNPCL’s.
10 #EndBadGovernance protesters charged with treason
Last month, Nigerians got tired of the high cost of living and hit the streets to protest against bad governance. The protests went from 100 to 0 before anyone could say jack. Now, 10 of these #EndBadGovernance protesters have been charged with serious crimes, including treason, at the federal high court in Abuja. They’ve all pleaded not guilty (as they freaking should).
The ten individuals were also accused of destroying public property and injuring police officers. The charges also include allegations of conspiring with a British citizen to destabilise Nigeria by calling for a military takeover. They reportedly shouted slogans like “Tinubu must go, it is the soldiers we want.”
Despite a request for bail due to their month-long detention, the court decided they’ll stay in custody till further notice. Amnesty International has criticised the legal process, calling the trial a "sham" and has urged investigations into the violence during the protests (again, as they freaking should).
This Week’s Big Question
“What have you spent the bulk of your money on in the last 6 months? Survival or impulses?”
Cherish’s response - “You people are still spending money in this economy? I’ve moved back to my parents’ house o. My occupation now is ‘daddy, can you send me money?’ I literally don’t know how we're okay with this insanity.”
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Cherish’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
NLC Demands Immediate Reversal Of Petrol Price Hike: On Tuesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) called for an immediate rollback of the recent fuel price increase announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). They argue that the hike has only intensified the suffering of Nigerians.
FG To Remove Tax On Food Items, Rents, Others – Taiwo Oyedele: Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy, has announced that his committee has recommended the Federal Government eliminate taxes on essential items such as food, public transportation, house rents, and other necessities vital to Nigerians' well-being.
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