This statement came amidst pro-government protests organized by All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in various state capitals and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

In response to an upcoming protest scheduled for Thursday, August 1, which is expected to last for ten days, the Federal Government is reportedly taking steps to address the concerns of the youth.

Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has called a meeting with Mr. Ebun Olu-Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, the legal adviser to the protest organizers, to discuss the situation.

The call for peaceful protest has been widely supported, with 36 civil society organizations reiterating the fundamental right of citizens to protest as a key aspect of democratic governance.

Damilare Adenola, a leader of the planned protest and convener of the Take-It-Back Movement, emphasized that the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, cannot deny the organizers the use of Eagle Square, a public facility.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio attributed the planned protest to political figures who lost the 2023 elections, suggesting they aim to gain power through alternative means.

Meanwhile, the APC’s South-West Executive Committee urged Nigerians to disregard the protest, assuring that current hardships would soon be alleviated.

In preparation for the protest, Minister of Education Prof. Tahir Mamman has directed universities to ensure the security and safety of staff, students, and property.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, reiterated on TVC that peaceful protest is a fundamental part of democracy, emphasizing that the administration is committed to serving the people, not dominating them.

He stressed that President Bola Tinubu supports the right to peaceful protest across Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga said the organised Labour in Nigeria is harming the people it should be fighting for.

He lamented that sick people cannot have access to medical care at government hospitals due to the nationwide strike.

Posting on X, Onanuga wrote: “It’s saddening that Labour could go to this extreme. But it is not surprising to the perceptive minds. Labour is harming the Nigerian people they claim to be fighting for. Today, many sick Nigerians cannot access medical care at government hospitals.

“Not even those with critical medical conditions. It appears labour is playing politics by other means. Many of the affiliates of the two central unions, NLC and TUC are members and supporters of the Labour Party.

“They logically bear ill will and grudges against the Tinubu administration. Otherwise, the issue they claim to be fighting for cannot be resolved by blackmail or sabotage, they cannot even be resolved by the Federal Government unilaterally, the Labour leaders will still have to return to the negotiating table.”

Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Bola Tinubu, clarified in a statement released on Thursday that the shutdown was inaccurately reported by the media.

He explained that while the organization is re-aligning roles within its business, only a few positions will be affected.

Ajayi criticized a tweet made by the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on the same subject, describing it as a “naked dance.”

Obi had expressed concern over the shutdown announcement, emphasizing the need for economic reforms in Nigeria.

Contrary to the reports and Obi’s tweet, Ajayi affirmed, “The story that Microsoft is shutting down Nigeria office is not true.”

He clarified that the Africa Development Centre is just a department within Microsoft’s business in Nigeria and is not being shut down.

Ajayi further explained that affected staff, who are less than 30, will have the opportunity to apply for new roles within Microsoft.

Those unable to find new roles or seeking opportunities outside the organization will be asked to leave.

He emphasized that the situation does not warrant the sensational description provided by Peter Obi.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this call in a statement via his X handle on Thursday.

The presidential aide urged speculators to quickly dump their dollars to avoid “tears.”

He stated, “With backlog FX settled, Naira is set to appreciate further, faster. Currency speculators should quickly dump their stock of dollars to avoid sorrows and tears.”

Onanuga was reacting to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, disclosure that it had cleared the $7 billion foreign exchange backlog inherited by Governor Yemi Cardoso.

In a statement on Wednesday, CBN’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs Hakama Sidi Ali, confirmed the settlement of all valid FX backlog claims.

Ali said the apex bank employed Deloitte Consulting, an independent auditing firm, to meticulously assess the transactions, ensuring that only legitimate claims were honoured.

“Any invalid transactions were referred to the relevant authorities for further investigation,” she stated.

The CBN’s commitment to tackling the FX backlog appears to be paying off, with the external reserves seeing a significant rise, reaching $34.11 billion as of March 7, 2024, the highest level in eight months.

Oyedele, in a post on his X account, while answering some frequently asked questions about the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, said the committee aims to reduce the burden on people and businesses.

His words: “We do not intend to introduce new taxes or impose higher tax rates. Rather, our mandate is to reduce the number of taxes and levies while harmonising revenue collection to reduce the burden on the people and businesses.

“The objective is to avoid taxing investment, capital, production or poverty. We plan to review and re-enact the major tax laws in a holistic manner thereby limiting the necessity for frequent changes through annual finance acts.”

He also stated that in achieving the 18 percent tax-to-GDP ratio mandated by the committee, there are plans to increase revenue by leveraging technology rather than introducing new taxes.

“The average tax to GDP ratio for Africa excluding Nigeria is about 18%. This is the basis for the target of 18% and the estimated tax gap of N20 trillion.

“There is a huge opportunity to generate revenue by leveraging technology and tax intelligence to close the tax gap. In addition, we will rationalize incentives, reduce the cost of collection, and optimise revenue from government assets and natural resources. This way we can generate more revenue without introducing new taxes.”

Oyedele said the committee’s mandate is not limited to the federal government but will work across all levels.

“The committee will work with all levels of government as critical stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration in the design and implementation of necessary fiscal policy changes and localisation of reforms at the subnational level as may be applicable,” he said.

In response to the public outcry over the increase in school fees, the presidency, represented by Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to the President on Communication, refuted claims that President Bola Tinubu was responsible for the tuition fee hike in federal government-owned universities.

Alake clarified that the decision to raise fees was at the discretion of each university, and that they have the autonomy to determine charges for hostel accommodation, registration, laboratory usage, and other related expenses, which are not classified as direct school fees.

Nevertheless, NANS released a statement through its National Public Relations Officer, Giwa Temitope, expressing skepticism towards the presidency’s response.

The student association accused the presidency of attempting to obscure the true extent of the crises faced by students due to the actions of the Federal Government and tertiary institutions.

The ongoing dispute highlights the continuing tension between students’ interests and government policies, raising concerns about the affordability and accessibility of higher education in Nigeria.

He clarified that some universities have introduced “discretionary charges” for specific services such as hostel accommodation, registration, and laboratory use, but these are not considered tuition fees.

“They are not tuition fees,” he emphasised.

“For avoidance of doubts, federal universities in Nigeria remain tuition-free.”

The statement sought to address recent fee adjustments made by some tertiary institutions, including the University of Lagos (UNILAG), which raised fees for new and returning undergraduate students.

UNILAG justified the move, citing the prevailing economic conditions and the need to meet various obligations to students, staff, and service providers.

However, the Presidency’s assertion emphasizes that despite these changes in specific charges, the core tuition policy in federal universities remains unchanged, and they will continue to be tuition-free. The government aims to provide access to higher education for all qualified students without imposing direct tuition fees.

While the institutions may introduce discretionary charges to enhance services and facilities, it is vital to clarify that these charges are distinct from regular tuition fees. The government remains committed to ensuring that students have the best possible learning experience and access to quality education.

It is expected that this clarification from the Presidency will bring reassurance to students and stakeholders, emphasizing the continued commitment to affordable higher education in federal universities.

The Presidency stated this on Monday night when defending Buhari against claims that he appointed security chiefs inexplicably lopsidedly over the course of the previous eight years, arguing that such claims are unjustified and that service chiefs and security agency heads cannot be chosen based on federal character or ethnic balancing.

InsideOjodu recalls that Buhari will leave office exactly one month from now on May 29, After serving eight years in two terms.

Critics claim that since Buhari assumed the position of president, the country has gotten worse, and he has been charged with favoritism and nepotism against competency and adherence to the federal character.

However, Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who spoke during an appearance on Channels Television program opted that regardless of what people think, Buhari will leave Nigeria in a better state than when he arrived in 2015.

Adesina pointed out that before Buhari’s administration took office, the rebels held roughly 17 local government districts in the nation’s north, but that no council region is currently under Boko Haram’s authority.

Federal character and ethnic balancing cannot be applied to security.

On the allegation of nepotism in the appointment of security heads, where it was said that about 70 per cent of heads of security agencies are from the North, Adesina said appointment of security heads was a prerogative of the President, which should not be subjected to ethnic balancing or federal character.

His words: “Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing; don’t subject security to federal character. In fact, the constitution that prescribes federal character even gives the President some prerogative that he can appoint on his own.

“What the constitution requires of you is balancing in terms of each state being represented in terms of certain positions. Those positions are prescribed. Security is not part of it. President will always have the prerogative to appoint those he feels can help him secure the country and have the kind of country you deserve to have. I would say that the President has been able to keep to his promises.”
On the report that Nigeria had recorded more deaths under Buhari’s administration than the previous government even though security was one of the cardinal areas the administration promised to focused on, the presidential spokesman said credit should be given to the administration because the country witnessed the lowest number of deaths in 2022.

He said: “Do you also know of the report which says in the past 12 years, that 2022 was the year that recorded the least number of deaths in terms of insurgency and insecurity. We know in this country, the figure has been coming down over the years.

“No life, ideally, should be lost. One life lost is too many. When reports tell you that between 2015 and 2021 so so number of lives were lost and in 2022 the lowest figure came up, it calls for something positive, you don’t ignore it.

“Buhari is leaving the country far better and I said it from the beginning in 2015 we knew where Nigeria was, 17 local governments in this country were under the control of insurgents. NYSC could not do orientation; they were not sending people to those places. Is it what is happening today? No.

“The emirs are back in their palaces, local government chairmen are back in their offices, NYSC orientation is happening in those states, youth corpers have been posted to those states. Are you now telling me that there has not been improvement? No. Let’s be factual, let’s give the government some credit please.”

On the alleged worsening economic situation under the Buhari’s administration, Adesina also said the economy has been diversified by the government and that the economy no longer depends solely on oil.

The Presidency through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu has said Buhari will not resign.

InsideOjodu recalls that PDP’s National Chairman, Uche Secondus had called for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged cases of corruption in federal agencies.

Shehu, in a statement titled “PDP gripped by undemoractic pandemic” on Friday night, said the call by Secondus was a mere camouflage of the PDP’s fear the various probes initiated by the Buhari administration, which had led to the uncovering of the many cases of corruption, would expose characters within the opposition further.

The statement read, “At a time when the whole world is unifying to confront a common enemy, Nigeria’s opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has launched a whirlwind campaign promoting undemocratic values, the latest manifestation of which is the call for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation for allowing audits and investigation into several agencies of government, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

“Based on the statement issued by the embattled chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, it is clear that they would have liked the President to not investigate but to cover things up: to not wake the sleeping lion as voiced by another of their leaders.

“The PDP government which exited the stage five years ago through a democratic election by voters dissatisfied with corruption on an industrial scale, policy paralysis, obsolete and decaying essential infrastructure appears to have forgotten the reason for their stunning defeat and seem hell-bent on the fooling the nation, yet again for another ride to power.

“President Buhari will not resign. He is determined to continue the crusade against corruption, both legacy and recently unearthed cases, that are found to be shabbily handled, and in some cases unattended to by past administrations. The National Assembly, by virtue of its right to conduct its oversight function is currently carrying out own investigations. Additionally, the security and intelligence agencies are equally doing their part and must be given the time and space to conclude their work and present their reports.

“The PDP cannot scare the government from probing the grave allegations made against MDAs and their chiefs because, failure to do so will amount to a historic betrayal of public trust.

“The PDP cannot subject Nigeria’s democracy to subterranean attacks and continue to pretend that they are well-meaning.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, noting that war serves as a potent warning on the dangers of aggressive regionalism, ethnic baiting and political corruption.

The statement read in part: “As the nation commentates 50 years of the end of the nation’s tragic civil war today, we remember the victims of the conflict and honour those on both sides that lost their lives. Their tragedy shall be neither forgotten nor repeated

“The war serves as a potent warning on the dangers of aggressive regionalism, ethnic baiting and political corruption. In it, we must forge common memory that can serve as a bridge to a future free from the ravages of sectarianism.

“We remember the past to draw its lessons; on how we move forward together and live in peace. Unfortunately, there are some who fail to recognise them and instead repeat its mistakes, preaching inflammatory rhetoric meant only to divide.

“We call on all leaders and parties to moderate their language.

“There were no victors in this war. Yet in rejecting division and embracing unity, we ensure those lives lost were not in vain.

“Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’