Some Kwara State indigenous students have reacted to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s approval of N10,000 each as palliative to students who are of Kwara origin in public-owned tertiary institutions across the country.

Daily Gazette reports that Governor Abdulrazaq, in his bid to reduce the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on the students’ welfare, has approved the payment of the student’s support fund.

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The approval of the one-off payment is coming a week after the Governor initially approved the extension of free bus rides for students of tertiary institutions in the state.

However, majority of the indigenous Kwara State students across the country who participated in a survey conducted by Tribune Online, stated that the one-off 10,000 naira palliative is far from being enough to relieve the economic aftermath of the subsidy removal.

Forms response chart;

Question title: Do you believe a one-time N10,000 palliative from the Kwara government to the students is sufficient to mitigate the effects of subsidy removal?. Number of responses: 100 responses.

The participants include students from the University of Ilorin (Unilorin), Kwara State University (KWASU), Ekiti State University (EKSU), and Kwara State Polytechnic, among other public-owned tertiary institutions in the country.

According to the survey, 35 out of the 100 students, amounting to 35%, revealed that it only takes them two weeks to spend 10,000 naira even while on strict budgeting.

Forms response chart. Question title: On average, how long does it take you to spend 10,000 naira as a student?. Number of responses: 100 responses.

A student of Kwara State Polytechnic identified as Bolarinwa, said, “10,000 naira can’t go a long way at all. The government should find a better way to provide for the citizens because the removal of fuel subsidy will take time, and 10,000 naira can’t even last for a month with the way things are getting expensive in our economy daily.”

On how they have been affected financially by the subsidy removal, most of the students said the prices of transportation to their respective schools have doubled since the subsidy was removed, adding that the cost of feeding has also skyrocketed.

Describing the removal of fuel subsidy as a terrible experience, a student of Kwara State University, Busari Munirat, said, “It affected me badly, spending twice of what I used to spend on transport to and fro my hostel to school, hike in market prices that make feeding difficult, and the amount I spent on printing because of the hike in fuel price. It is a terrible experience.”

Another student, Islamiyat Adedayo, said, “My cost of transportation has been doubled. Before, I spent 2000 naira weekly on transport to school, but now it has increased to 4000, and my monthly allowance as a student did not increase. It has also affected my cost of living, especially in terms of feeding.”

Some of the students further revealed that they have resorted to skipping some of their classes due to the high cost of transportation, a decision, which according to them, has affected their academic performances.

“It’s really affecting me because due to the increase in transport fares. I don’t go to class as usual, and it has really affected me in some of my courses,” a student of Unilorin, Lawal Aminat, lamented.

While the majority of students interviewed described the palliative as not enough based on their economic realities, some other students who responded to the survey shared a contrasting view.

To many of them, the palliative amount might be little, but it will go a long way in assisting the students in these trying times. According to Taiwo Damilola, who is a student of the Unilorin, “It won’t clear our bills for the rest of the year or month, per se, but it’s better than nothing. God bless the Kwara state government.”

“I feel it’s a really great and helpful move by the Kwara state government,” another student, Samuel Olamide opined.

The organized Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has announced that the Federal Government will be given time to fulfil its promises.

Labour had declared protest after the price of fuel moved to N617 from N537. The unions had given the Federal Government an ultimatum to reverse the increment.

Based on the failure of government to heed its demand, labour mobilised protest across the nation on Wednesday.

President Bola Tinubu had invited Comrade Joe Ajaero, NLC President, Festus Osifo, TUC President, to a meeting at Aso Rock.

At the end of the meeting, Ajaero told the media that the unions would give the government some time

Ajaero said, “It is pertinent to inform Nigerians that the extent of the success of the protest is underlined by the request of the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu to meet with the leadership of the NLC and TUC in a closed-door session.

“The engagement was fruitful that immense mileage was gotten with regards to the issues that bogged down the work of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy removal and necessitated the protest viz:

“He committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engagement in line with the input of the Labour leaders. He let out a certainty that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year. He pledged to ensure that Agreement is reached on the Wage Award for Nigerian workers immediately.

“He promised to unveil a workable roadmap to the CNG alternative next week. On the strength of the President’s pledge and commitment, we have decided for a return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process to allow for full implementation.

“Once again, we thank Nigerians while we wait for the government to fulfill its own part of the understanding as agreed with His Excellency; the President.”

A video has been circulating on Facebook and YouTube claiming that the Nigerien Finance Minister was crying over money laundering allegation.

He was said to have been arrested by the military in the country and threatened with execution if he failed to give an account of state finances.

The video surfaced amid the coup plot against President Mohammed Bazoum-led government in Niger Republic.

The video has been shared multiple times on Facebook with the caption “Niger Republic’s alleged finance minister, Ahmat Jiroud after being told by the military government to account for the country’s stolen funds or face execution in 48 hours.”

Bazoum has been held in his palace since week by Niger’s Presidential Guard.

On Friday, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Head of the presidential guard, was announced as the country’s new leader.

Tchiani, who has headed the Presidential Guard since 2011, said the coup was the military’s response to “the degradation of the security situation” linked to jihadist bloodshed.

But the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had on Sunday given Niger coupists one-week ultimatum to restore democratic order in the country or risk military action.

In response to ECOWAS’ threat to use force upon the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum, the Niger military issued a warning about “the consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention,” saying, “Certain dignitaries…are in thinking of confrontation,” which “will end in nothing but the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos.”

The current Minister of Finance in Niger is Ahmat Jidoud who is light-skinned as against the dark-complexioned individual in the video.

An analysis of the video using the Google Image reverse search revealed that the clip was first posted in December 2021, mostly on Facebook.

A user posted in Hausa and it translated to “Former Minister of Justice Marou Amadou is crying for joy after being appointed as Niger ambassador in Ethiopia.”

Others posted in French and it translated to them calling him “a hypocrite.”

In a bid to find a longer clip with a better explanation, a search via InVid revealed a video of the former minister wearing the same outfit and being interviewed.

Using the translate option, he was seen complaining about the crisis in the country and the slow response from the government.

In the comment section, some called him out for not speaking up for years, others said he is only speaking now because he was no longer a part of the government.

Conclusion;

Based on available data, we can confirm that the claim that the Nigerien Minister of Finance, Ahmat Jidoud has been arrested is misleading.

The video in circulation is that of the former Minister of Justice, Marou Amadou.

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, met with the leaders of the Organised Labour Unions, comprising the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress at the State House in Abuja.

This comes just hours after organised labour embarked on protests across states in the country over the fuel subsidy removal.

The Organised Labour comprising Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart in Kano has called on the Federal Government to as matter of respect fulfil the agreement and promises earlier reached with regards to palliatives and other resolutions for Nigerians.

Chairman of the NLC Kano chapter, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, made the call when he led a peaceful protestagainst fuel price hike and other policies of the federal government on Wednesday.

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No fewer than 20 Unions converged on the Murtala Muhammad Library Complex and marched through Ahmadu Bello way to the State Government House.

They were received by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Shehu Wada Sagagi, who represented the Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.

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However, the duo tried effortlessly to stop the peaceful protest halfway.

Speaking, the NLC chairman, Kabiru Inuwa said, “The central point of this protest is to at least request the government to fulfil the promises it made during the first sitting they had with labour and resolve to put committees and commence work immediately.

“Up till now, nothing is done and they are not ready to do it. Let them come out and start implementing what they agreed to themselves, what they forwarded to the labour themselves. Let the masses breath, this is what we want, no more no less.

“When you talk about palliative, has it commenced? It’s part of the resolutions reached. None of the seven agreed resolutions has commenced. As of now, we are buying fertilizer at N27,000 per bag because dollar is increasing day by day which is not good for our economy. We want them to commence implementing the agreed resolutions met during the meetings.”

Responding, Bichi assured the aggrieved citizens that the government is strategizing to bring out effective model and plans to begin distribution of the palliatives.

He also promised to transmit the message to the Federal Government for onward consideration.

“The Governor had wished to be out here in person but you all know that today is Wednesday when the State executive council sits to take major decisions including that in respect of what the Kano government is going to do to support its people with palliatives.”