The office of the deputy governor of Edo State, on Osadebe Avenue, Benin, the dtate capital, has been sealed off by stern-looking policemen who were spotted there on Sunday.

The sealed office was the one Philip Shaibu was relocated outside the Government House in the height off his face off with Governor Godwin Obaseki.

As of Sunday, the entry gate was closed while a machine gun mounted police truck with three policemen was parked in front of the gate.

It was gathered that staff of the office were on Friday told to resume at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Agency while the official vehicles in the deputy governor’s office including the Press Crew bus have been moved to the office of the Head of Service inside the Government House in Osadebe Avenue.

A staff of the Deputy Governor’s office on Sunday said, “You know we are civil servants. On Thursday, we were told to resume in JOOPSA and that was where we also resumed on Friday and we would also do that tomorrow (Monday).”

The Federal Government has handed over 64 compressed natural Gas (CNG) buses to representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). 

The buses were presented to the unions on Sunday at the state house conference centre, Abuja, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary.

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, led the government delegation to the handover ceremony.

The delegation included Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, Abubakar Bagudu, minister of budget and economic planning, and Ayodele Olawande, minister of state for youth development.

Speaking at the event, Edun said when deployed for commuter service, the buses would significantly reduce transportation costs in the country, bringing hope for a more affordable and efficient public transport system.

He described the distribution of the buses as fulfilling President Bola Tinubu’s promise to provide affordable and efficient transportation under the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PCNGi) to support Nigerians after the removal of fuel subsidies.

He said the initiative is aimed at alleviating the burden on the poor and vulnerable and support macroeconomic reforms that would position the country on the path to economic stability.

The minister further said the symbolic handover of 64 buses on the eve of Nigeria’s National Day marked the beginning of a broader national rollout.

He said the federal government planned to distribute over 500 CNG buses and 100 electric vehicles in the first instance.

“The CNG initiative aligned with Nigeria’s commitment to cleaner energy while leveraging its energy resources for industrialisation,” he said.

“Today marks another critical milestone in the policies of President Tinubu. It is a transition to cleaner fuel. The emphasis is on mass transit.”

Edun said the Federal Government placed emphasis on intervening on the side of workers to ensure cheaper transport to enable them cope with rising prices.

According to Edun, the CNG initiative will significantly impact inflation positively.

“We’ve had an initial spike in inflation, now it has peaked, and it is coming down,” he added.

“Mr President and the whole team are determined to ensure that we keep inflation coming down, and this is one of the major ways.”

The minister also said the fuel cost for CNG-powered vehicles was about one-third of the fuel for petrol-powered vehicles.

According to Edun, motorists can now pay as low as N15,000 to fill a tank instead of N50,000 or more.

“Today, it is CNG. Tomorrow, it will be helping farmers to cope with the remainder of the wet season planting and then the dry season planting, starting from November, with fertiliser, inputs, seeds, and herbicides,” he said.

“This is all to get prices down and get the economy moving again.”

Michael Oluwagbemi, programme director and chief executive of PCNGi, said since its establishment one year ago, over 125 conversion centres has been established, compared to the initial seven.

He said investment in the sector has exceeded 175 million dollars, with 12 new mother stations commissioned and 75 more under construction.

“Technician training is being ramped up, with 40 new technicians trained weekly. Over 34,000 conversion kits have been ordered, with more than half already distributed,” Oluwagbemi said.

He added that vehicle conversions were taking place at 53 centres in eight states, and that the centres would be expanded to all the 36 states and the FCT.

On their part, Nuhu Toro, secretary-general and chief executive of TUC; Lucky Emonefe, NANS president; and Uche Ekwe, head of international desk, NLC, commended Tinubu for the gesture.

They called for more CNG buses to be made available to the public.

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, says no single individual can control the state.

The governor spoke on Sunday at a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers.

On Saturday, the elders forum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state apologised to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), over the fissure between him and Fubara.

The PDP elders tendered the apology at an event organised by the Ijaw Peoples Congress to honour the FCT minister

The party elders appealed to Wike to forgive the governors, saying Fubara lacked political skill.

Wike, who also spoke at the event, claimed credit for making Fubara the governor of Rivers state.

Addressing the congregants at the St. Paul Cathedral of the Anglican Communion, Fubara said he doesn’t need anyone to apologise on his behalf

Fubara said he “cannot give his kidney” to prove his loyalty to Wike, adding that the FCT minister is desperate for recognition.

“Nobody can apologise for me. As a matter of fact, I belong to that school of thought that if I am the only person that needs to stand on that side of right, I will stand there. I don’t need anybody to stand with me. I cannot give my kidney or liver to anybody. I won’t. If that is the only reason for me to be loyal, I will not be,” Fubara said.

“But I will not do the wrong thing. I will stand for the side of the right. I will stand with the truth for Rivers people. That is my commitment today. I will not mortgage my kidney or my liver. So, don’t worry about that because I know that is what they do because they can’t talk.

“If it has to take my kidney, then I will honourably just go back to my wife then we will manage ourselves. But I will not give my kidney. What is important is to protect this state. It does not belong to anyone. Rivers state is nobody’s enterprise. So, you have to stand strong