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You Know Nothing – Atiku Tells Sowore
Responding to the tweet, Sowore criticized the former vice president for complaining over the nation’s blackout.
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), knows absolutely nothing about Nigeria.
Atiku had on Wednesday, in response to the unveiling of the newly commercialized Nigerian National Petroleum Commission Limited (NNPC Lmited), tweeted that he had in 2018 made public his plans to reform the NNPC, but the APC government denigrated his plan.
He wrote, “I had in 2018 made public my plans to reform the NNPC to make it more profitable, transparent and efficient. The APC-led government denigrated me for my patriotic vision.
“But today, I am happy to note that the same government has taken a tentative step along the lines of the suggestions that I had made. It is a step in the right direction, but we are still far from what I had envisaged.
“I hope I’ll have the opportunity to complete the process of turning the NNPC into a genuinely world-class company in the mould of NLNG, Aramco of Saudi Arabia and Petrobras of Brazil, where Nigerians and institutions will invest in.”
Responding to the tweet, Sowore criticized the former vice president for complaining over the nation’s blackout.
Sowore said Atiku was the vice president when his principal, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, budgeted $16 billion to revive power but with nothing to write home about.
Sowore wrote, “The National Electrical grid collapse started when you and Obasanjo invested $16 billion to procure darkness for Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari regime came to gazette the grid collapse as a law. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, don’t pretend that you care about the national grid!”
When the issue was raised before Atiku during an interview with ARISE TV on Friday, he said the AAC presidential candidate lives outside Nigeria and comes only after four years to contest election.
He said, “He is my opponent, what do you expect him to say? He has all along lived outside this country. He doesn’t even know the policy implementation or even the policy initiative. When we came in, the total generation was about 4,000 megawatts. We initiated the building of nine additional power stations. By the time those nine were finished, the capacity has gone up from 4,000 to 13,000 megawatts.
“Unfortunately, no correspondent increase as far as the transmission lines are concerned. There is no way our transmission lines cannot evacuate the power you are producing that they cannot collapse.
“These additional nine power stations were completed by Jonathan. Umaru Yar’adua was on it. He died and Jonathan continued and he completed them. That is why any time there is an increase in the power generation and then you’ve the transmission system that cannot evacuate power, there will be a collapse.
“So, he (Sowore) doesn’t even know, because he lives outside this country. He comes after every four years and contest for the presidency and goes back. He fails and goes back again. So, what does Sowore know about this country? Nothing; absolutely nothing.”
President Bola Tinubu has officially flagged off the 2024 main Christian pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan.
This was contained in a statement by the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations of Christian pilgrimage, Celestine Toruka, and published on the Commission’s official X handle on Monday.
The president, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, urged pilgrims to view their journey as an opportunity to strengthen their faith in God.
He noted that the theme of the 2024 pilgrimage, “Pilgrimage of Renewed Hope for Total Restoration,” aligns with the vision and agenda of his administration.
The president called on the intending pilgrims to pray for the progress of Nigeria, Lagos State, and their families.
Tinubu warned the pilgrims against absconding while in the Holy Land, stressing that there is no better place than home.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, has urged Nigerians to expect a reduction in the pump price of the product within the week.
It should be recalled that last week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and the Dangote Refinery reduced the ex-depot price of petrol to N899 per litre in Lagos.
PETROAN President, Billy Gilly-Harry, spoke on when the price change will take effect while appearing on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily.
“But I believe from today when members start loading from both NNPC and Dangote at this new price reduction, it will reflect in the market.
“But also I’ll give kudos to some of our members, some of the leaders in PETROAN, you know, that have done so well, especially in Abuja, for even reducing their prices to below N1,000 before even this announcement.
“So, we don’t encourage our members to try to sell products at a loss because our focus is to serve Nigerians. And the only way we can serve Nigerians is when we have the resources to be able to do that.
“The resources can only be there if we’re making marginal profit enough to pay for the cost of money and make sure that we continue to do business. So, never mind, you’ll see the translation of this reduction of prices in the retail outlets hopefully within the week,” he said.
According to him, the inability of members to sell in line with the new ex-depot price is due to some of them having old stocks that were bought at higher prices.
The PETROAN boss commended Dangote Refinery and NNPCL for the reduction in the price of the commodity.
Federal Government has declared Wednesday, December 25, 2024, Thursday December 26, 2024, and Wednesday January 1, 2025 as public holidays to celebrate Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year respectively.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government extended warm greetings to all Nigerians, urging them to use the festive period to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the season signifies.
In a statement, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the importance of the season as a time to
foster harmony and strengthen bonds across families and communities.
The minister also called on Nigerians to remain committed to the peace, unity and progress of the nation for national development.
“The Christmas season is a good moment for both spiritual reflection and national renewal. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, let us demonstrate kindness and extend goodwill to one another, irrespective of our differences,” Tunji-Ojo, said.
He assured citizens of the Federal Government’s continued commitment to ensuring peace, security, and prosperity across the nation.
While wishing Nigerians a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2025, the minister expressed his confidence in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s Administration ushering in the new year, a better and prosperous economy that will be the envy of the world.
Tinubu unveils 2024 Christian pilgrimage to Israel, Jordan
Reduction in fuel pump price to reflect at filling stations within the week – PETROAN
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