The house of representatives has commended President Bola Tinubu over his decision to discontinue the petrol subsidy regime.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution commending Tunubu during the plenary session on Tuesday after the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Jimoh Olajide from Lagos.

While delivering his inaugural address on Monday, Tinubu said “petrol subsidy is gone” because the immediate administration did not make provision for such in the 2023 appropriation.

Tinubu commended his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari for “phasing out the petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor”.

Speaking on the motion, Olajide said the funds that should be used for subsidy would be channelled to other development issues.

The lawmaker said Tinubu’s policy would favour the “downtrodden”.

He told his colleagues to support Tinubu to “deliver dividends of democracy” to Nigerians.

“H asked for it, he campaigned for it and he is ready for the task ahead,” he said.

“The tutor-general of Nigerian politics is concerned about the masses and has the meaningful objective to utilise Nigeria funds appropriately with budgetary reforms agenda on education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, food, security and above all security of lives and property as embedded in the constitution.”

The resolution was unanimously adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Femi Gbajabiamila, the presiding officer.

The house congratulated Tinubu and appealed to “Nigerians to remain patient, resilient and prayerful so that the President can deliver on his promises”.

THE BACK AND FORTH

After the motion was passed, Ugonna Ozurigbo, a lawmaker from Imo, raised a point of privilege, demanding that there should be a debate on the motion due to its significance.

“I think it is very important that you should give us a little time to discuss and express our feelings on this motion that was brought on,” he said.

But responding, Gbajabiamila said the gavel has been hit noting that the matter could be raised at a different time during plenary as a point of relevance.

“There is no breach of privilege, we have hit the gravel. We cannot go back,” he said.

“As we go along, anyone that wants to speak on the issue of subsidy — I am giving the leeway even though it would fall on the sword of relevance.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says court cases scheduled for hearing on Tuesday were aborted due to the siege of the Department of States Services (DSS) at its Lagos office.

We had earlier reported that DSS officials prevented personnel of EFCC from gaining access to their office located at Awolowo road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The tussle between both agencies has to do with the ownership of the building.

Reacting to the incident, Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesperson, said his agency did not barricade the EFCC office in Ikoyi, adding that the DSS is only occupying its facility.

“It is not correct that the DSS barricaded EFCC from entering its office. No, it is not true. The service is only occupying its own facility where it is carrying out its official and statutory responsibility,” Afunanya said.

‘EXHIBITS, SUSPECTS IN DETENTION DISRUPTED’

In a statement, Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesperson, said DSS officials barricaded the entrance of the office of the anti-graft agency using armoured personnel carriers.

Uwujaren said inmates in the agency’s detention facility have been left unattended to owing to the siege.

“This development is strange to the Commission given that we have cohabited with the DSS in that facility for 20 years without incident,” the EFCC spokesperson said.

“By denying operatives access to their offices, the commission’s operations at its largest hub with over 500 personnel, hundreds of exhibits, and many suspects in detention have been disrupted.

“Cases scheduled for court hearing today have been aborted, while many suspects who had been invited for questioning are left unattended.

“Even more alarming is that suspects in detention are left without care with grave implications for their rights as inmates. All of these have wider implications for the nation’s fight against economic and financial crimes.

“The siege is inconsistent with the synergy expected of agencies working for the same government and nation, especially when there are ongoing discussions on the matter.”

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has outlined his priorities for his second term — T.H.E.M.E.S PLUS.

The governor spoke after he was sworn in as the second term governor on Monday at the TBS area of the state.

Mr Sanwo-Olu, whose first term agenda was anchored on T.H.E.M.E.S agenda, said he has taken it to the “next level.” The acronymn stands for Transportation and Traffic Management; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos State a 21st Century Megacity, Entertainment & Tourism; and Security & Governance.

“Henceforth, it will be known as “T.H.E.M.E.S+,” the “plus ” representing the incorporation of an intensified focus, in these next four years, on Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and Youth,” he said.

“In other words, we are strengthening and reinforcing THEMES with a ‘No One Left Behind’ philosophy. No one will be left behind on account of their social status, gender or age; we will design all our policies and programs to ensure that everyone is carried along and catered to.

“This is our solemn promise to you.”

Speaking about the challenges encountered in his first term, Mr Sanwo-Olu said his administration experienced the “most disruptive and devastating global health challenge of our lifetime.”

He also said that the state experienced other challenges such as the Endsars protests that descended into a wave of violence, building collapses that claimed lives and a massive gas explosion in Abule Ado amongst others.

“And yet, we saw the triumphant spirit of Lagos shine through. We saw a people that cannot be defined by the tragedies that confront us,” he said.

“We saw a city that proudly wore its resilience and had mastered the art of bouncing back, regardless of what it faced.”

Regardless of the challenges, Mr Sanwo-Olu said that his government has made “deliberate progress.”

He said that his administration has seen the rise of public and private infrastructure — “the largest single train petrochemical refinery in the world, the largest United State Consulate Complex in the world, the largest children hospital in West Africa, the largest rice mill in Sub Saharan Africa.”

We have attracted global corporations like Microsoft, Google and others,” he said.

The governor promised that his government will continue to foster a culture of transparency, accountability and participatory governance.

He commended his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, for his assistance and being a partner-in-progress for the last four years.