The declaration is part of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company's efforts to revive the crippling crude production in the country. NNPC CEO Mele Kyari says the company plans to work with its partners in the oil industry to eliminate all identified obstacles to efficient production. For more than two years, Nigeria has failed to meet its OPEC production quota.
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
National oil company in Nigeria declares state of emergency
Health authorities in Nigeria issue warning against locally-made beverages
Nigerian health officials have cautioned against consuming locally-made drinks believed to contribute to the spread of cholera, which has claimed over 60 lives in the country this year. The drinks are often produced by unlicensed traders who often use untreated water.
Escalating violence in northeast Nigeria causes despair among displaced populations
The worsening violence in northeast of the country has left internally displaced persons in Borno state stranded in temporary accommodations. Recent bomb attacks have further complicated their hopes of returning home, prolonging their displacement.
Court in Nigerai acquits publisher of cybercrime
Mr Jalingo, who publishes an online newspaper, CrossRiverWatch, was prosecuted by the Nigeria police over a 30 June 2022 Facebook post in which he alleged that Alami Ayade, the wife to the younger brother of the former governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, contracted someone to write law examination for her at the Nigerian Law School, Abuja.
The article was also published on CrossRiverWatch, the police said.
The police arrested Mr Jalingo in August 2022 after laying siege for hours at his Lagos residence.
Mr Jalingo was arraigned in 2023 before Justice Zainab Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who remanded him at the Medium Security Custodial Center, Kuje. The court later granted him bail.
‘Discharged and acquitted’
The CrossRiverWatch broke the news on Monday morning about the Federal High Court judgment which reportedly discharged and acquitted Mr Jalingo of cybercrime.
The judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, found Mr Jalingo not guilty of the crimes the police accused him of, according to a report by the newspaper.
Mr Jalingo told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday afternoon, that he was very happy with the court judgment. “I was being persecuted, not prosecuted,” he said.
“When the prosecution finished their case, we (had) entered a no-case submission, so the court ruled today that they (the prosecution) only came to waste the time of the court,” he said.
“This case had given me sleepless nights because there are many things that I wanted to do which I couldn’t.”
Mr Jalingo said following the advice of a respected traditional ruler and other people in Cross River, he had sought an out-of-court settlement with Mrs Ayade, including visiting her to beg her over the matter, but she refused.
“I am very happy that the court has given this judgment. This judgment is a victory for the Nigerian media because this is a law that has been used to harass those of us who are journalists,” he added.
PREMIUM TIMES asked Mr Jalingo if he was certain about the contentious issues in his article against Mrs Ayade.
“I was (certain),” he retorted. “I couldn’t go out there and lie against anybody.”
PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach Mrs Ayade for her comment.
Mr Jalingo is not new to criminal prosecution over his journalism work.
He was arrested in August 2019 and incarcerated for about 179 days in Calabar, charged with terrorism, treasonable felony, and cybercrime for accusing the then Governor Ayade of diverting N500 million belonging to Cross River State.
Amnesty International in Nigeria had declared the journalist a prisoner of conscience and had accused the Nigerian government of manipulating the nation’s justice system against him.
Nigeria suspends tax on imported brown rice, corn, and other food
Nigeria plans to suspend taxes on certain food imports including wheat and maize for 150-days, and recommend a retail price to try to bring under control rising prices in Africa's most populous nation, its agricultural minister said on Monday.
The move is part of the government's policy to curb food inflation, which has climbed to over 40% year-on-year, and spur growth which has been fragile for almost a decade.
President Bola Tinubu has asked his economic management team to prepare a 2 trillion naira ($1.33 billion) stimulus plan to address concerns about food supplies and pricing and bolster key sectors, the finance minister said last week.
"To ameliorate food inflation in the country caused by affordability and exacerbated by availability, the government has taken a raft of measures to be implemented over the next 180 days," Agricultural Minister Abubakar Kyari said in a statement posted on X.
He said that the government would import 250,000 metric tons of wheat and 250,000 metric tons of maize in addition to imports by the private sector. The commodities will be imported in their semi-processed state and target supplies to small-scale processors and millers.
Food inflation has soared in the West African nation with insecurity in parts of the country's food producing regions and poor road network linking farms to markets.
Soaring costs of food staples have deepened the cost of living crisis and added to double-digit inflation which is stuck at nearly 30-year high.
Kyari said the tax waiver would cover food commodities imported through the country's land and sea borders.
By Macdonald Dzirutwe, Reuters
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