By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika has defended the economic record of former President Muhammadu Buhari, dismissing claims that his administration left Nigeria in economic hardship.

Sirika spoke during an interview on Arise Television, where he argued that the country was in a stable economic and social condition under Buhari’s leadership.

He said, “I don’t want to get dragged into that debate, but the truth of the matter is that President Buhari has done extremely very well on the economy.

“And I’m not an economist, but I do know so because I’ve been in the country, I’ve been in the government, I know so.

”And I’ve seen that the country at the time was in good state both economically and the social issues within the country.”

When asked to assess President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Sirika declined to criticise the current government. He said it would be unfair to judge decisions taken by an administration in which he has no role.

He maintained that each government should be assessed according to the circumstances it faces. He also said he would not publicly question policies that he is not responsible for implementing.

According to him, “I do believe that he led the country that is flourishing. Because I am not President Muhammadu Buhari, and neither am I President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to really comment on the policies that they have made… I don’t think it’s been fair for me to sit down and make a critique of why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did this or not.”

Sirika also argued that there is no conflict between the policy direction of the Buhari and Tinubu administrations because both governments operate under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, “But I want to say categorically that the policies by President Muhammadu Buhari are policies of our party and the policies that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is pursuing are policies of our party.

“So as an APC person, I do believe that they are not doing things, just off the top of their head, you know, to inflict injury on the country. No, I don’t think so.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a 20% “safe passage” fee on ships transporting cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.

Trump said the proposed levy would cover the cost of providing security in the strategic waterway. He made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social platform.

He wrote, “All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.

“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World.

“The process and formation will begin immediately.”

The announcement comes amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran after the collapse of a ceasefire agreement. Washington has resumed military strikes against Iranian targets, while Trump has vowed to deal with Tehran “very hard” over its refusal to reach an agreement.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck 140 targets over the weekend. Military operations continued on Monday. The attacks reportedly damaged infrastructure and resulted in civilian casualties.

Iran has accused the United States of disrupting negotiations with Oman on maintaining safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. It has also responded with strikes on US facilities in neighbouring Gulf countries.

The latest escalation has affected the global oil market. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose by 3.60% to $78.7 per barrel, after trading at around $70 per barrel in recent weeks. Analysts say continued tensions around the Strait of Hormuz could increase pressure on global energy prices.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has ended naira-denominated sales of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, and introduced a dollar-based pricing system for its refined petroleum products.

The new pricing structure, which took effect on Monday, fixes the ex-depot price of petrol at $0.779 per litre. Diesel will now sell at $1.087 per litre, while Aviation Turbine Kerosene is priced at $0.942 per litre. Coastal deliveries of petrol have also been fixed at $1,044.62 per metric tonne.

The refinery announced the changes in a notice sent to marketers and customers. It also declared that all naira-denominated Proforma Invoices and Deal Recaps issued earlier for gantry and coastal transactions were no longer valid.

The notice stated: “Following our email on the 9th of July, 2026, regarding the transition from Naira to United States Dollars, please note that all issued Naira Coastal and Gantry PFIs/Deal Recaps are now invalid, and no payments should be made against them.

“The applicable USD prices for each product, effective today, July 13, 2026, are provided below.”

The refinery, however, clarified that the new arrangement does not apply to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). It said, “Also note that this transition to USD does not apply to LPG transactions.”

The latest development marks the end of the naira payment system introduced after the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude initiative began on October 1, 2024. That policy allowed local refiners to purchase crude oil in naira to support domestic refining and reduce pressure on foreign exchange.

Industry sources said the refinery adopted the new framework because of the growing gap between the currency used to purchase crude oil and the currency used to sell refined products. According to them, a larger share of crude supplies from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is now obtained through dollar-denominated arrangements.

One source said the change became necessary because the refinery faced increased exposure to foreign exchange risks.

Another source explained, “Dangote refinery is receiving fewer naira-denominated crude cargoes from NNPCL compared with dollar-denominated cargoes, while a larger volume of its petroleum products has been sold in naira. The resulting currency mismatch, combined with volatility in international crude oil prices and continued exchange-rate uncertainty, made it necessary to migrate product sales to dollars.”

The decision is expected to affect petroleum marketers that buy products directly from the refinery. Analysts also believe it could influence retail fuel prices, depending on exchange rates, logistics costs, transportation expenses and other market factors.

By Rabi Ummi Umar

The Nigerian healthcare system is often dismissed because of the unenviable reputation it has built over decades of systemic failure. It is a common refrain across the country that citizens simply do not trust the medical institutions meant to save them.

For those who can afford it, the immediate solution to a serious diagnosis is to board a flight out of the country, seeking medical treatment abroad where systems are functional.

And for the rest of the population, walking into a local hospital is less an exercise in hope and more an act of desperate survival, frequently marred by anxiety about what might happen inside.

Personal encounters with our healthcare infrastructure often leave deep scars. I often find myself silently whispering, ‘I pray nobody has to experience this.’ Sadly, too many Nigerians have stories of facing decaying infrastructure, enduring the dismissive or outright rude attitudes of overworked nurses, or being left unattended in crowded corridors.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking reality is the ubiquitous ‘payment before service’ policy. In moments when a patient is actively battling for their life, a life that is irreplaceable, the administrative unit, or hospital policy, prioritises financial clearance over immediate clinical intervention.

This, in my opinion, is an ethical failure that leaves families helpless and hollows out the core purpose of medicine. It undermines the very principles of the Hippocratic Oath and the Nightingale Pledge that doctors and nurses take before practising.

This crisis of confidence in our healthcare system was perfectly articulated at a recent book unveiling I attended at the Yar’Adua Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The book, Trust Renewal: The Integrity Call for Better Health for All, authored by Dr Abdullahi Jubril Mohammed, offers a resonant critique of our current trajectory. During the launch, he stated an earnest truth too often overlooked: health systems do not succeed merely because of advanced technology or concrete infrastructure. Instead, they succeed or fail along the patient’s path based on a single, invisible metric — trust.

When trust is absent, the entire system fractures. Even when medical facilities receive structural upgrades or well-funded international aid, these interventions fail to achieve their potential because the human connection between provider and patient has been broken.

Patients seek treatment abroad not just for better machines, but because they believe unsafe practices thrive in an environment devoid of accountability, and that the workers within that environment have grown numb to human suffering. To change this narrative, the Nigerian healthcare system must be consciously rebuilt on a foundation of ethical, accountable behaviour.

Renewing this trust requires a collaborative effort from policymakers, healthcare providers, civil society, and patients themselves. Medical institutions must actively promote transparency, especially concerning service delays, and prioritise patient feedback as a tool for institutional growth rather than dismissing it as mere complaining.

Practitioners need to understand that listening to a patient’s experience is just as vital as reading their clinical charts.

Building a better health system requires moving beyond physical structures and investing heavily in the integrity of the care provided. Only when patients feel safe, valued, and heard can we begin to heal the system itself.

Rabi Ummi Umar is a writer in Abuja, and she can be reached via rabiumar058@gmail.com.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Troops of Sector 7, Operation ENDURING PEACE, have intercepted a large cache of illegal weapons during a targeted operation at a checkpoint in Kaduna State, dealing a blow to a suspected arms trafficking network.

Acting on intelligence about weapons being moved from Jos to Niger State, soldiers stopped an ash-coloured Mercedes-Benz at the Samaru Checkpoint in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area in the early hours of Monday. A search of the vehicle uncovered three locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and four submachine guns (SMGs) carefully hidden inside.

One suspect attempted to flee the scene and was shot by troops during the escape attempt. He is currently receiving medical treatment at the Sector 7 Medical Centre in Kafanchan.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the weapons were supplied by two suspected dealers based in Jos and were destined for a recipient in Niger State.

The Nigerian Army described the seizure as a testament to its resolve to curb arms proliferation and dismantle criminal networks. Authorities have called on the public to continue providing timely information to security agencies to help track criminal activities.

By Anas Abbas

The Federal Government has withdrawn its recent increase in registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council’s (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), following widespread criticism from Nigerians.

The Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, announced the suspension in a statement on Monday, confirming that the letter dated June 18, 2026, which had communicated the new fees, has been withdrawn pending further review.

According to the ministry, the initial proposal was driven by rising operational costs, covering logistics, security, printing, technology deployment and quality assurance, needed to maintain credible national examinations, noting that registration fees had stayed largely the same for years despite these growing expenses. 

However, Minister of Education Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa has now directed that the plan be put on hold in the interest of a more inclusive and transparent policy process.

The ministry said it would consult more broadly with examination bodies, state education ministries, school administrators, parents’ groups, labour representatives and other stakeholders before any new fee structure is considered. 

It added that the review would not proceed until this consultation process concludes, and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting students’ welfare and equitable access to education.

The fee increase had drawn sharp criticism from prominent Nigerians, including African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who had described the hike as insensitive to the realities facing Nigerian families.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has introduced a whistleblower programme to curb the unauthorised use of its branded trucks across the country.

Under the initiative, the company will pay N500,000 to anyone who provides credible information that leads to the arrest of individuals involved in illegal haulage with Dangote trucks.

In a statement issued on Sunday, DIL said the programme forms part of its efforts to safeguard the integrity of its logistics operations. The company urged members of the public to report any case in which its trucks are used to transport unauthorised goods or passengers.

The company explained that each of its subsidiaries has designated products for transportation. It said Dangote Cement trucks are approved to convey only cement, limestone, high-grade gypsum, coal and clinker. Dangote Sugar Refinery trucks are restricted to sugar products, while NASCON Allied Industries vehicles are meant for Dangote Salt and DanQ Seasoning products.

“Dangote Packaging vehicles are to carry bags and packaging materials, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals trucks are approved for polypropylene products, while Dangote Fertiliser Limited vehicles are authorised to transport urea fertiliser,” the statement reads.

Dangote warned that any of its trucks found transporting goods outside the approved categories would be regarded as engaging in illegal haulage. It added that drivers and owners of such goods could face arrest, confiscation of the cargo and prosecution.

“Anyone with verifiable information that leads to the arrest of persons involved in illegal haulage activities or the recovery of unauthorized goods transported on Dangote trucks will receive a cash reward of Five Hundred Thousand Naira,” the statement further reads.

The company advised whistleblowers to provide relevant details, including the truck type, registration number, cab number, location, description of the goods, vehicle colour and photographs where available, to support investigations.

Dangote also disclosed that it has created dedicated hotlines for reports of illegal haulage activities. It added that security agencies, including the police, have the authority to arrest drivers who use the company’s trucks for unauthorised commercial haulage.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in its logistics operations.

“Public cooperation remains critical in our efforts to eradicate illegal haulage activities,” the company said.

“We encourage anyone with credible information to come forward and help us maintain the integrity of our transportation system.”

According to DIL, the whistleblower programme will help protect the company’s assets, encourage lawful business practices and ensure that offenders face justice.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA have stopped a kidnap attempt by suspected terrorists in Surimi, Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, a community close to the Sokoto State border.

The operation led to the rescue of four abducted persons, while no soldier was injured during the mission.

The Nigerian Army disclosed the development in a statement posted on its official X account. It explained that the operation followed credible intelligence that armed terrorists were carrying out kidnapping activities in the area.

The statement said troops at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Unashi responded immediately and moved to the location to block the suspects’ escape routes. The soldiers later confronted the terrorists and overpowered them with superior firepower.

“Faced with the troops’ overwhelming response, the terrorists abandoned the four kidnapped individuals and fled into the nearby bush,” the statement elaborated.

“The rescued individuals were later reunited with their families.”

Military authorities also confirmed that Operation FANSAN YAMMA recorded no casualties during the operation. They described the successful rescue as another indication of the troops’ commitment to protecting lives and tackling insecurity across Nigeria’s North-West region.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has called on members of his church to obtain their voter cards and participate actively in the electoral process.

Oyedepo made the appeal during Sunday’s service at the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State. He said Christians have a civic duty to contribute to the choice of those who govern their countries.

“We have a civic responsibility as responsible citizens of our various nations. This church is today in 144 nations,” the cleric said.

“So, endeavour to secure your voter cards. You are men and women of the spirit. You should know on your own personal conviction where to cast your vote.”

He stressed that members of the church are full citizens of their respective countries and should not stay away from the democratic process.

“We are not passers-by in our nations. We are bona fide citizens of the nation. We have a right to participate in who governs us,” he said.

“So, please go ahead. It’s part of our policy; you will find it in our mandate. So, go ahead and ensure that you secure your voter’s right.”

Oyedepo also said the large population of Living Faith Church members gives the church a legitimate voice in national affairs.

“And this church, with the millions that we have, we have a say in it. So, be part of it,” he added.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Portuguese top-flight side SC Braga have secured the services of Nigerian defender Adebisi Olamikun from Nigeria National League outfit Inter Lagos.

The 18-year-old centre-back completed a long-term move to the Primeira Liga club after attracting interest from several European teams.

Olamikun played an important role in Inter Lagos’ successful promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) last season. His performances earned him recognition as one of the club’s standout young players.

The left-footed defender has built a reputation for his pace, composure in possession, and strength in aerial duels.

SC Braga are expected to integrate the youngster into their squad during the club’s pre-season preparations following the completion of his transfer.