The Federal Government has announced a 30-day discount on petrol sold through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), with public transport operators expected to receive priority under the arrangement.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a briefing on petrol pricing and the Federal Government’s position on fuel subsidy.

Oyedele explained that the initiative should not be interpreted as a return to petrol subsidy, stressing that the government’s intention was to make the product available at cost for the period.

Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, Co-Convener of the Nigeria Forward Project, has urged political appointees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from Northern Nigeria to take the message and achievements of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to the grassroots.

Waiya made the call in a statement in which he said those entrusted with public responsibilities must communicate the policies and achievements of the Federal Government more effectively to citizens, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

According to him, the call by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, for ministers, special advisers, chairmen and chief executive officers of federal government agencies to improve communication of the administration’s achievements should be taken seriously by appointees across the country.

Waiya said Akume made the call at the Federal Appointees Strategic Summit in Abuja, where he reportedly urged government officials to communicate the impact of the administration’s policies and programmes to Nigerians more effectively.

He said the call had assumed greater political significance as political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election intensify, with various groups and political leaders beginning grassroots mobilisation for President Tinubu.

Waiya noted that reports of heads of federal government agencies describing themselves as “foot soldiers of the Renewed Hope Agenda” demonstrated the growing mobilisation around the administration ahead of the 2027 elections.

He also referred to reports that Senator Akume had led North-Central political leaders in launching a grassroots mobilisation campaign for President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, saying such activities should go beyond political mobilisation.

According to Waiya, the mobilisation should provide an opportunity for government officials and political leaders to explain to Nigerians how the Renewed Hope Agenda affects their daily lives and the development of their communities.

He urged Northern appointees of the Federal Government to communicate what he described as the positive reforms of the Tinubu administration, while presenting measurable achievements in areas such as infrastructure, institutional reforms, economic development and opportunities for citizens.

Waiya said the message should not be restricted to Abuja or other major cities, urging Northern appointees to take the administration’s message to markets, farms, businesses, universities, local communities and households across the region.

He stressed that the concerns and aspirations of ordinary Nigerians should remain central to any campaign for the administration, arguing that citizens would ultimately assess the government based on what they have experienced, seen and understood.

“The 2027 elections will ultimately belong to Nigerians. They will judge the administration by what they have seen, experienced and understood,” Waiya said.

He urged President Tinubu’s appointees not only to campaign for continuity but also to explain the reasons for seeking another mandate, defend the administration’s record with evidence and communicate its future plans clearly to the electorate.

Waiya said the Renewed Hope Agenda should be presented to Nigerians in a manner that enables citizens to understand the policies, programmes and reforms of the administration and their potential impact on communities.

He called on Northern appointees to intensify grassroots engagement, saying the message of the administration must reach people at the community level if it is to be properly understood.

“Now is the time to take the Renewed Hope message to the people. Let the story be told. Let the achievements speak. Let the vision be explained,” Waiya said.

He further urged government officials and supporters of the administration to demonstrate to Nigerians why they believe the Tinubu administration deserves another mandate in 2027.

“Renewed Hope must not remain a government slogan. It must become a story Nigerians can see and feel,” Waiya said.

The statement was signed by Waiya in his capacity as Co-Convener of the Nigeria Forward Project.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the 1967 Asaba Massacre as one of the most painful and terrible episodes of the Nigerian Civil War.

Obasanjo spoke virtually on Wednesday as chairman of the 59th anniversary memorial held in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

He said the occasion marked the remembrance of “one very sad aspect” of the civil war, adding that the war itself was an unfortunate event that should never have happened.

“But the Asaba Massacre, as it is called, was one of the most painful, one of the most terrible aspects of that war,” he said.

Obasanjo said he was moved to tears after receiving documents on the massacre from Chuks Nduka-Eze, convener of the Asaba Massacre Memorial. He added that he was saddened such an event occurred “in my own country, in my lifetime.”

The former military head of state urged survivors and victims’ families to embrace forgiveness and reconciliation. “To all of you assembled: let us keep one thing in mind — forgiveness, forgiveness, and forgiveness again,” he said. He also called for the tragedy to be remembered as part of efforts to prevent a recurrence.

In response, Epiphany Azinge, the Asagba of Asaba, said the community could forgive without forgetting the massacre or abandoning its demand for accountability. “We may not forget, but certainly, we have to forgive,” he said.

The monarch, however, said there could be no closure or healing until a sitting Nigerian president publicly apologised to the people of Asaba. “There will be no closure, there will be no healing until a sitting President — not an ex-President, but a sitting President — publicly apologises to us,” he said. He noted that former military Head of State Yakubu Gowon had apologised while out of office.

Azinge also questioned Obasanjo’s appeal for Nigerians to say “never again,” recalling the Odi killings during Obasanjo’s administration. “Coming from him, I was a bit taken aback. How long do we say ‘never again’? But it happened at Odi,” he said.

Despite his demand for a presidential apology, Azinge publicly proclaimed forgiveness for the family of Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo, who was associated with the military operation during the massacre. “On behalf of the Asaba community, and as the prescribed authority — the Asagba of Asaba — I hereby publicly proclaim that we have forgiven the Taiwo family,” he said.

The monarch said the community had accepted the apology offered by retired Major General Ahmed Taiwo, son of Colonel Taiwo. Taiwo had expressed regret and apologised on behalf of his father and family for any act, omission or commission that contributed to the massacre. “I know it will not right the wrong, but I believe and pray it is a start towards reconciliation,” he said.

The 59th anniversary memorial also called for national recognition of the massacre and the establishment of a permanent memorial centre ahead of next year’s 60th anniversary.

The Asaba Massacre occurred between October 5 and 7, 1967, in Asaba, present-day Delta State, during the Nigerian Civil War. It targeted civilians in Asaba, most of them Igbo, and was carried out by the Nigerian Army’s Second Infantry Division.