LEGENDINFO

  After a break of more than two months, the National Assembly resumed plenary yesterday with a promise to do more for Nigerians. Members of the bicameral legislative chambers told the citizens that although the ongoing reforms by  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu  were yielding positive results, Nigerians still faced challenges. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and  House of Representatives  Speaker Abbas Tajudeen gave the assurances in their welcome address to the returnee federal lawmakers. They listed floods, insecurity, high cost of living, and erratic power supply as some of the challenges facing Nigerians but assured that the National Assembly would legislate with boldness and collaborate with the Executive to tackle the challenges. Akpabio said: “Our people do not look to us for lamentations; they look to us for action. The banners of terrorism and banditry still threaten the countryside.

The price of refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, also known as cooking gas, has increased to N25,000 this week from N17,500 the previous week. Checks by Vanguard confirmed that the price of 1kg currently retails at between N1, 500 and N2, 000, depending on the location. Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, NALPGAM, Mr. Bassey Essien, told Vanguard on phone yesterday that the distribution of the product was disrupted by the recent industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN. He said: “Dangote Petroleum Refinery is currently the highest local supplier of cooking gas in Nigeria. The crisis involving PENGASSAN scuttled distribution. Many dealers could not replenish their stocks during the period. ‘’What we are witnessing is a function of demand and supply. In practice, the demand for cooking gas is higher than supply. But supply would likely stabilise in the comi...

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced that any agent found engaging in non-permissible activities under its newly revised Agent Banking Guidelines will face a minimum penalty of N5 million for the offence and N100,000 for each day the default continues, in addition to forfeiting any profit made from such activities. According to the revised guidelines, “Operating without a valid Super Agent licence attracts a fine of not less than N10 million and N200,000 for each day the default persists. Engaging in non-permissible agent banking activities attracts a fine of not less than N5 million and N100,000 for each day of the default. In addition, the entity shall forfeit the estimated profit.” The CBN further stated that failure to obtain its approval or a ‘No Objection’ as stipulated in the guidelines attracts a fine of N2 million for the financial institution (FI) and for each director or senior management staff responsible for the infraction. Similarly, failure to maintain p...

A violent attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Friday, leaving one young man of about 30 years old identified as Onuchukwu Ogbaki dead, has resulted in anger in the Onoli, Ugwuleshi Autonomous community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. According to community sources, Friday’s attack was the latest in a series of attacks by herdsmen, which had already driven residents of Obuovia village out of their farmlands, creating fear and panic among residents, posing a serious threat to lives, livelihoods, and the very survival of the community. A family member of the late Onuchukwu’s family, who gave his name as Sampson Okolie, told our correspondent on Sunday that their brother died around 2 a.m. on Saturday at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, where he was rushed to for medical assistance. “It is true Fulani herdsmen killed our brother,” Okolie told  PUNCH Metro . He explained that Ogbaki went to check his farm along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Highway, close t...

  Despite receiving petrol at N820 per litre with no logistics costs, partners of the Dangote Refinery have yet to reduce pump prices at their filling stations. Findings by  The PUNCH  on Sunday revealed that Heyden, AP, MRS and other major partners continued to sell petrol at N865 per litre. Apart from a few MRS outlets in Lagos that adjusted their prices to N841 per litre, most stations maintained the previous rates. The MRS station at Alapere experienced long queues as motorists rushed to buy petrol at N841, while others along the same axis sold for N865 per litre. However, at the MRS station in Olowotedo, along the Mowe–Ibafo axis of Ogun State, petrol sold for as high as N875 per litre. Heyden offered N863, while Ardova and others retained prices between N865 and N870 per litre. Recall that marketers, including Conoil, Eterna, Golden Super, Nepal Energies, Kifayat Global Energy, and Riquest and Gas, had partnered with the Dangote Refinery under its logistics-free fue...

  The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria  (PENGASSAN)  has suspended its strike against Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals following a new agreement brokered by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo, said the decision was taken out of respect for the federal government. He, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of the agreement, noting that it did not address the union’s primary demand, the immediate reinstatement of over 800 Nigerian workers allegedly sacked by the refinery. Osifo warned that the union would not hesitate to resume the strike without notice if the Dangote management fails to honour its commitments under the agreement. Osifo said, “We are not happy with the terms of the agreement because it did not capture our main demand of recalling the 800 sacked Nigerians. But out of respect for government institutions, for t...

  Afrobeats star Rema has made history as the only African artist featured on the prestigious  2025 TIME100 Next list , which celebrates the world’s most influential rising stars. His inclusion underscores his global impact on the music scene, with his chart-topping hit ‘Calm Down’ surpassing a billion streams twice. Rema’s profile for the list was penned by Grammy-winning legend Angélique Kidjo, who hailed his remarkable achievements. She highlighted how his success continues the legacy of African icons like Fela Kuti, Miriam Makeba, and Youssou N’Dour, who brought the continent’s sound to the global stage. “With the recent global explosion of African music, I needed to include some contemporary sounds. I fell in love with Rema’s “Calm Down.” It has a unique flow and feel, not mimicking Western pop; it is rooted in Africa but also catchy and virtuosic. I love to sing it. “The young Nigerian superstar has accomplished so much: “Calm Down” has joined the billion-stream club twi...