Tinubu Sued Over ‘failure To Reverse ‘unlawful Petrol Price Hike, Probe NNPCL’
~4.2 mins read
September 15, 2024
Tinubu sued over ‘failure to reverse ‘unlawful petrol price hike, probe NNPCL’
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over “the failure to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reverse the apparently unlawful increase in the pump price of petrol, and to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPCL.”
Joined in the suit as Respondents are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the NNPCL.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1361/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct the NNPCL to reverse the unjust, illegal, unconstitutional and unreasonable increase in the price of petrol from N845 per litre to N600 per litre.”
SERAP is also asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, including the spending of the reported $300 million ‘bailout funds’ collected from the Federal Government in August 2024, and the $6 billion debt it owes suppliers, despite allegedly failing to remit oil revenues to the treasury.”
SERAP is asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anticorruption agencies to prosecute anyone suspected to be responsible for the alleged corruption and mismanagement in the NNPCL, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to recover any proceeds of corruption.”
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “The increase in petrol price is causing immense hardship to those less well-off. As the economic situation in Nigeria deteriorates, the increase is pushing people further into poverty.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “Holding the NNPC to account for alleged corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would serve legitimate public interests.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, read in part: “The increase in petrol price constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
“Corruption in the oil sector and the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds to support the operations of the NNPC have resulted in persistent and unlawful hike in petrol prices.”
“Increasing petrol prices at a time when millions of Nigerians continue to face worsening economic conditions is entirely inconsistent with constitutional and international obligations to ensure the minimum living conditions compatible with human dignity.”
“The arbitrary increase has placed a disproportionate burden on the marginalized and most vulnerable sectors of society, particularly those disadvantaged by poverty.”
“The increase is seriously jeopardizing their living conditions, as well as individuals’ physical, emotional, and individual development, and intensifying and worsening socioeconomic conditions in the country.”
“The increase constitutes a serious human rights problem because of the intensity with which it undermines the enjoyment and exercise by Nigerians of their human rights and renders their civic participation illusory.”
“The fundamental right to life includes not only the right of every Nigerian not to be deprived of his/her life arbitrarily, but also the right that he/she will not be prevented from having access to the conditions that guarantee a dignified existence.”
“The growing poverty and inequality in the country has continued to adversely affect the right of Nigerians to participatory democracy, and impede their ability to participate in their own government.”
“Nigerians have for far too long been denied justice and the opportunity to get to the bottom of why they continue to pay the price for corruption in the oil sector. The increase in petrol price has rendered already impoverished citizens incapable of satisfying their minimum needs for survival.”
“The increase is not inevitable, as it stems from the persistent failure of successive governments to address the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector and the impunity of suspected perpetrators.”
“Persistent increase in petrol prices keep people in poverty which in turn perpetuates discriminatory attitudes and practices against them.”
“The government has a legal obligation to mobilize the maximum of the country’s available resources to ensure people’s socio-economic rights and to protect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged Nigerians.”
“The government also has the legal obligations to probe and prosecute allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the NNPC, and to ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims of corruption.”
“Investigating and prosecuting the allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector would be entirely consistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the country’s international anti-corruption obligations.”
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on the government to ‘abolish all corrupt practices’ including in the NNPC.”
“Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, the government has a responsibility to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.’”
“Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”
“According to our information, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited recently increased the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets.”
“The price of the product increased to N855 per litre, from about N600, and in some instances above N900 per litre. The apparently unlawful increase in petrol price followed a scarcity caused by the reported refusal by suppliers to import petroleum products for the NNPCL over a $6 billion debt.”
“The NNPC allegedly failed to remit USD$2.04 billion and N164 billion of oil revenues into the public treasury, as documented in the recently published 2020 annual report by the Auditor-General of the Federation.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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Eid Maulud: IGP Orders Tight Security For Peaceful Celebrations
~0.6 mins read
Eid Maulud: IGP orders tight security for peaceful celebrations
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has assured citizens of Nigeria of adequate security measures to ensure a peaceful and secure environment during the 2024 Eid-el-Maulud celebrations.
Consequeuntly, the IGP has directed Police, Command CPs and their respective Zonal AIGs to ensure robust deployment of personnel and resources to high-risk areas, including major highways, places of worship, and public gathering points.
A statement by Force PRO disclosing this said, “The Nigeria Police Force hereby reiterates its commitment to safeguarding the public and preventing crime during and after this festive period.4 / 1:00
“The IGP extends warm felicitations to the Muslim faithful, praying for a joyous and harmonious celebration and emphasizing the Force’s collaboration with other security agencies, community leaders, and stakeholders to ensure a secure and incident-free celebration across the length and breath of the country.”
Could Men With Advanced Prostate Cancer Avoid Chemotherapy?
~2.4 mins read
When we think about radiation therapy, we typically picture treatments directed at tumors by a machine located outside the body. Now imagine a different scenario — one in which radioactive particles injected into the bloodstream find and destroy individual cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unscathed.
The drug
One such "radioligand" is already available for certain patients with prostate cancer. Called Lu-PSMA-617 (trade name Pluvicto), it carries a lethal payload of radioactive atoms. The drug binds with a cell protein known as prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is abundant on most prostate cancer cells but absent on most normal cells. After sticking to that protein, Lu-PSMA-617 delivers its radioactive cargo, and then the targeted cell dies.
As it currently stands, Lu-PSMA-617 is approved only for very a specific circumstance: eligible patients must have been treated already with chemotherapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). During this advanced stage of the disease, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rise despite treatments that block testosterone, a hormone that fuels prostate cancer growth (rising PSA indicates the cancer is progressing).
Doctors will often respond by switching to second-line hormonal treatments that block testosterone in other ways. If those drugs don't work or become ineffective, then chemotherapy is typically the next option.
But could men with mCRPC bypass chemotherapy — along with its challenging side effects — and start on Lu-PSMA-617 right away? Investigators evaluated that potential strategy during a newly-completed clinical trial.
The study
The PSMAfore phase 3 trial enrolled 468 men with mCRPC. All the men had PSMA-positive tumors, and each of them had been treated already with a second-line testosterone blocker. For most men, that drug was abiraterone; the rest had been treated with a drug called enzalutamide. None of the men had yet been given chemotherapy.
The investigators randomized all the enrolled men into two groups. Men in the treatment group were given infusions of Lu-PSMA-617, while men in the control group were switched to a second testosterone-blocker that they hadn't yet received.
The findings
After nearly a year and a half of follow-up, Lu-PSMA-617 treatment generated promising results. Crucially, the treated men avoided further cancer progression for a year on average, which was six months longer than progression was avoided in the control group.
Lu-PSMA-617 also produced significant drops in PSA: in 58% of the Lu-PSMA-617-treated men, PSA levels declined by half or more. Just 20% of men in the control group experienced comparable PSA declines. Lu-PSMA-617 was also well tolerated. The most common side effects were dry mouth and minor gastrointestinal symptoms, and treated men also reported less pain and better quality of life.
Commentary
Researchers still need to show that using Lu-PSMA-617 before chemotherapy actually lengthens survival before the FDA will approve this new indication. The enrolled subjects are still being followed, and "hopefully with further follow up, this sequence of treatments may become more widely available," says Dr. Marc B. Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Added Dr. Garnick, "This study marks another advance in our emerging treatment options for men with advanced prostate cancer, and underscores the methodical progression of pharmaceutical development. When new therapies are introduced, they are studied in patients in whom the treatment options are limited. Fortunately, Lu-PSMA-617 showed excellent results in this population, and the study outlined here suggests that it may be able to move this therapy to even earlier forms of advanced prostate cancer. We anxiously await longer-term follow-up of this important research."
Senator Monday Okpebholo Remains Devoted To Protecting Edo State Despite Doctored Video.
~0.7 mins read
Contrary to Viral Video, Senator Monday Okpebholo Reaffirms Commitment to Security in Edo State
In response to a trending video online, which falsely claims that Senator Monday Okpebholo is "providing insecurity," it has come to light that the video has been heavily altered and doctored. This misleading content does not reflect the true intentions or actions of Senator Okpebholo.
*Watch Video*
The correct and unaltered video clearly shows Senator Monday Okpebholo’s unwavering dedication to ensuring the safety and security of the people of Edo State. As a committed leader, Senator Okpebholo remains steadfast in his mission to provide maximum security and maintain peace in the region.
Senator Okpebholo continues to prioritize the well-being of his constituents, working tirelessly to protect them from any threats and ensuring that Edo State remains a secure and prosperous place for all its residents.
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