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Gov/HoA Polls: Maintain Political Neutrality, Army Chief Charges Soldiers, Releases Emergency Phone Numbers
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya has directed formation and unit commanders of the Nigerian Army to ensure that troops remain professional and apolitical during the forthcoming Gubernatorial and House of Assembly Elections across the nation.
The Army Chief handed down the charge while addressing formation and unit commanders across the country, prelude to the rescheduled 18 March 2023 polls. Gen Yahaya, who commended the troops for their overall performance in the provision of security during the last polls admonished them to shun all forms of inducement, enticement or cajoling that could compromise the security of the polls, adding that a secure and safe atmosphere must be provided for the citizenry to exercise their civic responsibility of chosing their leaders. Gen Yahaya charged the troops to adhere strictly to the guidelines in the Code of Conduct for Operation Safe Conduct, as any contravention will attract dire consequences.
He urged the commanders to intensify efforts at providing security support for the elections and be ready to respond promptly to any emergency situation while prioritizing the protection of key national infrastructure.
The COAS equally reminded his commanders of the oath of allegiance they swore to defend the sovereignty of Nigeria and maintained that the Nigerian Army must be seen by all to stand in defence of Nigeria’s democracy.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has updated its list of hotlines for monitoring and reporting of emergencies and acts capable of disrupting the coming elections. It could be recalled that the NA had earlier released a set of contacts during the Presidential election held in Febuary 2023 as part of measures to support the Police in establishing a conducive environment for the successful conduct of free,fair and peaceful elections.
Members of the general public are please enjoined to call the phone numbers below in their various states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja to report any security breach during the elections.
1. ABIA STATE – 09029568595
07067880707
2. ADAMAWA – 08022750987
3. AKWA IBOM STATE – 09070077175
08163256562
4. ANAMBRA STATE – 08030881453
5. BAUCHI STATE – 08128063675
6. BAYELSA STATE – 08107855752
08143247308
7. BENUE STATE – 08080754339
8. BORNO STATE – 09099616160
08086987079
9. CROSS RIVER – 08037084192
10. DELTA STATE – 09044400064
08144464947
11. EBONYI STATE – 08158274048
12. EDO STATE – 09066325953
13. EKITI STATE – 08037851448
14. ENUGU STATE – 09032102212
08023097458
15. GOMBE STATE – 07063908779
08082557782
16. IMO STATE – 08069587883
08164120381
17. JIGAWA STATE – 07017791414
08100144363
18. KADUNA STATE – 07031544227
08028580978
08035242633
19. KANO STATE – 08038432656
20. KASTINA STATE – 08108854061
09012998054
21. KEBBI STATE – 09130213661
22. KOGI STATE – 08033217964
23. KWARA STATE – 09060001270
24. LAGOS STATE – 07034769430
09127604098
25. NASARAWA STATE – 09051009404
26. NIGER STATE – 07031346425
27. OGUN STATE – 09116589494
08032466245
28. ONDO STATE – 08036130535
29. OSUN STATE – 09019683922
30. OYO STATE – 07047703000
31. PLATEAU STATE – 08037116395
07031260622
32. RIVERS STATE – 08064274222
33. SOKOTO STATE – 07069084570
07052693532
08136913284
34. TARABA STATE – 08136728969
08060902363
35. YOBE STATE – 08061397656
36. ZAMFARA STATE – 08140075541
37. FCT – 09114913164
08186690471
08079153860
08164304255
09159793968
US President Donald Trump has signed a federal spending bill, officially ending the longest government shutdown in American history.
The legislation, passed by the House of Representatives in a 222–209 vote, followed narrow approval in the Senate just two days earlier. The bill restores funding to federal agencies after 43 days of closure, bringing relief to millions of government employees and citizens affected by halted services.
Speaking after signing the measure on Wednesday night, Trump described the deal as a political victory, asserting that Democrats unnecessarily prolonged the shutdown.
“They didn’t want to do it the easy way. They had to do it the hard way, and they look very bad,” he said.
The temporary funding bill maintains government operations only through 30 January, creating a new deadline for lawmakers to negotiate a long-term budget solution.
As part of the agreement, Senate leaders committed to an early December vote on Obamacare subsidies, a key priority for Democrats during the shutdown standoff.
In addition to reopening federal offices, the bill provides full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture, military construction projects, and several legislative branch offices.
It also ensures retroactive pay for federal workers affected by the shutdown and allocates funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, which helps about one in eight Americans access food.
The shutdown, which began in October, forced the suspension of many government services, leaving an estimated 1.4 million federal employees either furloughed or working without pay. It also disrupted food assistance programmes and caused widespread delays in domestic air travel.
With federal operations now resumed, attention in Washington has turned to whether Congress and the White House can reach a longer-term funding agreement before the new deadline at the end of January.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), on Thursday, announced discontinuation of the planned 15 per cent duty on imported petroleum products.
NMDPRA’s Director, Public Affairs Department, George Ene-Ita, conveyed the development in a statement while warning the public to shun panic buying.
President Bola Tinubu, on October 29, approved an import tariff on petrol and diesel, a policy expected to raise the landing cost of imported fuel.
The President’s approval was conveyed in a letter signed by his Private Secretary, Damilotun Aderemi, following a proposal submitted by the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji.
The proposal sought the application of a 15 per cent duty on the cost, insurance, and freight value of imported petrol and diesel to align import costs with domestic market realities.
Implementation was slated to take effect on November 21, 2025.
The policy aimed to protect and promote local refineries like the Dangote Refinery and modular plants by making imported fuel more expensive.
While intended to boost local production, it is also expected to increase fuel costs, which could lead to higher inflation and transportation prices for consumers.
Experts have argued that the move could translate into higher pump prices for consumers, with some estimating an increase of up to N150 per litre or more.
In an update, however, NMDPRA said the government was no longer considering going ahead with implementing the petrol import duty.
“It should also be noted that the implementation of the 15% ad-valorem import duty on imported Premium Motor Spirit and Diesel is no longer in View,” the statement read in part.
Meanwhile, the NMDPRA also assured all that there is an adequate supply of petroleum products in the country, within the acceptable national sufficiency threshold, during this peak demand period.
“There is a robust domestic supply of petroleum products (AGO, PMS, LPG, etc) sourced from both local refineries and importation to ensure timely replenishment of stocks at storage depots and retail stations during this period.
“The Authority wishes to use this opportunity to advise against any hoarding, panic buying or non-market reflective escalation of prices of petroleum products.
“The Authority will continue to closely monitor the supply situation and take appropriate regulatory measures to prevent disruption of supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country, especially during this peak demand period.
“While appreciating the continued efforts of all stakeholders in the midstream and downstream value chain in ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted supply and distribution, the public is hereby assured of NMDPRA’s commitment to guarantee energy security,” the statement added.
The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to raise N1.15 trillion from the domestic debt market to cover the unfunded portion of the 2025 budget deficit.
The approval followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt during plenary on Wednesday.
The committee noted that the 2025 Appropriation Act provides for a total expenditure of N59.99 trillion, representing an increase of N5.25 trillion over the N54.74 trillion initially proposed by the Executive.
This expansion created a total budget deficit of N14.10 trillion. Of this, N12.95 trillion had already been approved for borrowing, leaving an unfunded deficit of approximately N1.15 trillion (N1,147,462,863,321).
In a related development, a motion by Senator Abdul Ningi was adopted, directing the Senate Committee on Appropriations to intensify its oversight to ensure that the borrowed funds are properly implemented in the 2025 fiscal year and used strictly for their intended purposes.
President Tinubu had on November 4th requested the approval of the National Assembly for a fresh ₦1.15 trillion borrowing from the domestic debt market to help finance the deficit in the 2025 budget.
The President’s request was conveyed in a letter. According to the letter, the proposed borrowing is intended to bridge the funding gap and ensure full implementation of government programs and projects under the 2025 fiscal plan.
