The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has unveiled a list of 10 goods rejected abroad, blaming the rejection on non-adherence to standardised clearance procedures by stakeholders.

She said some of the commonly rejected export food commodities from Nigeria from 2018 till date and in the top 10 include sesame, beans, melon seeds, peanut and smoked fish/fish meal, ginger, spices paper, hibiscus flower, palm oil and ogbono.

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The Deputy Director, Export Division, Ports Inspection Directorate, NAFDAC, Sanwo-Olu O.A. stated this in an address she delivered at the 3rd CHINET Aviacargo conference in Lagos, with the title, “Unlocking the Logistics Barrier to Improving Agro Exports Products.”

She blamed the rejection on non-adherence to set standard by freight forwarders, cargo handlers, airlines/carriers, regulatory agencies, as well as poor inter-agency collaboration, amongst others.

Sanwo-Olu called for collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that export trade meets the requirements of the country’s trading partner, in terms of quality, standards and quantity as trade increases.

The fall of the naira against the United States dollar, coupled with the recent rise in global crude oil prices, is making Nigerians apprehensive of a possible hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.

Although the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other oil marketers have not announced any increase in petrol price, they confirmed that the scarcity of foreign exchange and crude oil price rise were key factors that determined PMS price.

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Petrol price moved up from N198/litre in May to over N500/litre in June after President Bola Tinubu removed subsidy on PMS.

The cost jumped again to over N600/litre in July, and there were concerns that it might rise further in August, going by the crash of the naira against the dollar.

The naira dropped below N900 against the dollar on Thursday at the parallel market. It also fell against the US dollar at the official Importers and Exporters forex window.

Also on Thursday, Brent, the global benchmark for crude oil, was traded at about $87/barrel. It traded for less than $80/barrel few weeks ago.

A resident of Abuja, Collins Nnabude, stated, “The crash of the naira against the dollar and the recent rise in crude oil price is making one apprehensive when you consider the effect on petrol price in Nigeria. Fuel price is likely going to rise again this month.”

Oil marketers also confirmed the possibility of another hike in petrol price this month.

The President, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said, “So long as the naira is losing against the dollar, the price of petrol in our retail outlets will continue to increase.”

He called on Tinubu to make sure that Nigeria’s refineries were put back to use.

According to him, “We have requested that the President should declare a state of emergency on our refineries in order to speed up their repairs.

“That is the one sure way to go, in order to be able to predict the price of petroleum products, because for now, every PMS you buy in any retail outlet is dollarised.”

Also speaking on the development, the National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Okonkwo, said the downstream oil sector had been fully deregulated and, the cost of PMS would continue to fluctuate.

“When there is deregulation and no subsidy, the price of petrol would either go up or come down. But if you want to profiteer, those who bring in and sell at cheaper rates would put you out of business.”

Also, oil marketers said, the Federal Government may likely intervene as crude oil price and ex-depot price of petrol had kept rising.

The National Controller Operations, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mike Osatuyi, on Thursday said that President Tinubu had promised to intervene, if necessary.

He said, “First of all, we must thank President Tinubu for removing fuel subsidies because the country would have been in big burden by now.

“In view of the rising prices of crude oil, we can now see that the quantity of petrol they said we used to consume had dropped. At the same time, we can see that price of crude oil is increasing, meaning; Nigeria would have more money in addition to the money the country has saved from subsidy removal. Then, since we have more money in the country, we have pay as petrol price keeps rising.”

He added, “Ex-depot price is now between N585 and N590 per litre depending on the depot, and it will either go up or come down, depending on crude price and exchange rate.

“But the president has said that there would be interventions if need be. So, we believe they are watching as the situation arises.”

At least four males have been killed in a communal clash which erupted between Oyofo and Awha communities in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State on Friday.

The clash which is over land ownership started at about 10am also resulted in the burning of five motorcycles and a tricycle.

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It was learnt that the land has been in dispute for over 60 years with both villages claiming ownership of the vast expanse of land.

A statement by the Spokesman of the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, indicated that the state Commissioner of Police Ahmed Ammani, has ordered the deployment of policemen to the affected communities.

He said that normalcy has been restored to the affected areas while 12 persons directly involved in the clash have been arrested.

The statement reads: “The Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Ammani, has ordered the deployment of Police Operatives to Oyofo and Awha villages in Ezeagu Local Government Area, following the communal clash between the villages on 11/08/2023 at about 10am.

“The deployment is to maintain the normalcy already restored in the area after the clash, which led to the murder of four males and the burning of one tricycle and five motorcycles.

“Twelve male suspects have been arrested in connection with the clash and murder of the victims, while preliminary investigation shows that the clash is a result of land ownership dispute between the villages.

“Further development shall be communicated, please,” he said.

“After independence, in order to build a great nation, each country went to work. But in Nigeria, after independence, our people went to pray and fast.”

“So, while we were praying, Malaysia came here and took our palm seedlings and build a great factory of it.”

“While we were praying, Singapore went into investment in technology.
While we were praying, India went into ICT.

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“While we were praying, China went to massive industrialization.
While we were shouting Allah Alakuba! UAE went into massive infrastructural development.”

“While we were binding and casting Lucifer, Japan went into technological development.
While we were speaking in tongues, Denmark went into education of her citizens.”

“While we were mounting big speakers in our places of worship, USA was mounting man on the moon. After our prayers, God, being a wise God decided to reward us according to our labour.”

“Since those that went into industrialization, technology, infrastructural development, ICT, education etc had been rewarded accordingly. It’s only wise God rewards us with our efforts in prayers.”

“That’s why today, Nigerian pastors are competing in building the biggest churches. That’s why there are more prayer houses and worship places than hospitals and schools. That’s why people rush to prayer houses for medical and business solutions instead of hospitals.”

“That’s why we don’t do business proposals before jumping into business since we are going to back it up with prayers. And when such collapse, we blame devil.”

“That’s why it’s a sin to say anything negative about pastors and imams.
That’s why our pastors don’t consider the opinion of engineers while building and blame devil when the building collapsed.”

“That’s why faith in God replaces building pillars and when it collapsed we blame it on Lucifer.
That’s why our pastors are making sure they plant church branches instead of schools in every street in Nigeria.”

“That’s why we always wait for God to do that which ability to accomplish He has already handed over to us.
That’s why we want our teachers to labour on earth and come to heaven for their rewards.”

“Nigeria is a prayer loving, God fearing nation. Religion has taken the place of technology, infrastructure, education and all.
When we are traveling, we ignore all the necessary road requirements, servicing of our vehicles and pray. And, once we pray, we can put a half fit vehicle on the road and blame our step mother or mother in law if anything goes wrong.”

“That’s why there are more people dying on our roads than wild life animals in the wilderness.
Because, we pray and fast and leave everything to God when God has given us all we need to survive and build a nation.”

~ God help us.

The Oyo State Police Command has apprehended one Monday Chukwuka who allegedly sold his one-day-old grandchild for N700,000.

The police said the suspect was arrested at his hideout in the Ibafo area of Ogun State, following a credible intelligence report.

Speaking while parading the suspect at the command headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said: “On 10th July 2023, an actionable intelligence report was received by a team of police operatives attached to the Command Monitoring, Oyo State, about the ‘harvesting of a day-old baby girl’ from her teenage mother, identified as Sarah Chukwuka, in Oyo town and the sale of the girl-child to a criminal cartel that operates a baby factory in Abia State.”

Osifeso stated that upon the intelligence-led interview, Monday, who is the biological father of the teenage girl who gave birth to the day-old baby girl, confessed to the crime.

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He explained in detail how the suspect took the baby from her mother (his biological daughter) as soon as she delivered the child, under the pretext of handing over the baby to someone who would take good care of her.

“The suspect further explained in detail how he moved the baby to Abia State where he sold her to the owner of a baby factory located at Obehi, Ukwa West in Abia State for N700,000.

“Investigation was extended to Abia State and in the process of a coordinated raid on the baby factory, a female suspect identified as Popoola Bunmi and four other accomplices, whose names are Chinwendu Peter, Chidinma Blessing, Chukwu Christopher, and Favour Chukwu, were all apprehended in connection with the criminal activity,” SP Osifeso said.

The police spokesman added that a bundle of new birth certificates and some equipment being used for baby deliveries were equally recovered from the factory, adding that the suspects, as of the time of arrest, were unable to give any satisfactory explanation about the parentage of the babies recovered from the factory.

The suspect (Monday) said he decided to sell the baby because he could not afford to take care of his teenage daughter and the baby, saying he used the proceeds he collected after selling the baby to rent a shop and bought goods.

The teenage mother (name withheld), said she was not aware that her father wanted to sell the baby, adding that her dad only told her that he wanted to give the baby to someone to nurture her and return the baby after two years.

The suspected buyer of the baby, (Favour Chukwuka) said she bought the baby following a request from a couple (name withheld) who are childless, saying she was giving N50,000 as her share for the job after handing over the balance of N650,000 to Mr. Monday.

Other suspects arrested by the command include armed robbers, secret cult members with dangerous weapons, hoodlums who specialise in stealing cars, and notorious criminal receivers, among others.