News

Protesters Back Dangote Against Oil Cabal, Shut Kaduna Down

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8 months ago

October 7, 2025

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Thousands of protesters on Monday, shut down parts of Kaduna city, as they marched through major streets under the banner of the Partners for National Economic Progress, PANEP, accusing a powerful oil cabal of sabotaging Nigeria’s economic recovery by frustrating local oil refining initiatives. Chanting solidarity songs, the protesters displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Protect Local Refining,” “End fuel import cartel,” and “Support Dangote Refinery.” They converged at the Murtala Mohammed Square before marching through Alkali Road, Ali Akilu Road, Ahmadu Bello Way, and Muhammadu Buhari Way, drawing large crowds of supporters along the way. Leaders of the movement, Igwe Ude-Umanta and Dahiru Maishanu, said the Kaduna rally was part of a nationwide campaign to expose and resist “economic saboteurs” determined to keep Nigeria dependent on imported fuel. “This struggle is against the cartel that destroyed our public refineries, killed the textile industry, and now wants to strangle the Dangote Refinery,” Ude-Umanta declared to thunderous applause. “We will not let them succeed. The days of holding Nigeria hostage are over.” He said the movement, which began in Abuja on October 2, is part of a “national liberation effort” to save the economy from “heartless cartels feeding fat on national decay.” Recalling Kaduna’s industrial past, Ude-Umanta lamented how the once-thriving textile industry was ruined by foreign interests aided by local collaborators. “Kaduna used to be a textile hub before sabotage destroyed it,” he said. “Now, they want to do the same to our petroleum sector by frustrating local refining. We will resist them.” The protest, themed “National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,” called for urgent government action to protect the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery from “systematic attacks” by oil importation cartels. PANEP urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who also serves as Minister of Petroleum Resources, to ensure local refineries receive crude oil at the same price sold to foreign buyers. “That is key to sustaining the refinery and boosting investor confidence,” the group said. The protesters demanded an end to reckless fuel importation, urging the government to either halt it outright or impose heavy tariffs to protect local industries. “Countries that place tariffs are not stupid—they are protecting their economies,” Ude-Umanta noted. In his remarks, Maishanu said the cartel’s goal was to maintain a monopoly over fuel importation. “How can importers compete with producers?” he asked. “They are scared because local refining will expose their fraud and end their control over pricing.” He further accused the cartel of blocking the sale of locally refined Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Aviation Turbine Kerosene (Jet A1) at cheaper rates, thereby keeping prices artificially high. “They are punishing Nigerians to protect their greed,” Maishanu said. The protesters commended Dangote Refinery for its “early success” in reducing prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), saying Nigerians are already “breathing fresh air” from local refining. “This movement is about economic salvation,” Maishanu said. “If we allow them to kill Dangote Refinery, no investor will ever risk bringing money into this country again. We must protect this refinery as our own.” The rally ended with a resounding call on President Tinubu to “crush every enemy of Nigeria’s economic progress.”

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World Environment Day- OGWAMA Warns against Indiscriminate Waste. Dump

Published

1 day ago

June 7, 2026

thecolumnng

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As the world celebrate this year’s World Environment Day today,the Ogun State Waste Management Authority OGWAMA as urged residents of the States to keep their environment clean and stop indiscriminate dumping of waste in public places and imbibe proper waste disposal.

Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of the Ogun State Management Authority OGWAMA, Honorable Farouk Akintunde stated this in a statement to mark the 2026 World Environment Day.

He said indiscriminate dumping of waste in public and unauthorized places breeds untidy, unhealthy environment which are inimical to public safety and retard economic growth of the society.

Akintunde also advised them to imbibe proper waste disposal by patronizing Waste PSP assigned to their immediate community for proper waste disposal for just a token instead of them to use the cover of the night to dump them in discriminately on the median,roadsides and public places which he says deface the aesthetic beauty of the State.

‎ “Ogun state residents are known as clean and fun-loving people.We should not allow few of us to dent our pride through their untoward attitudes and behaviors,so when we see them dumping indiscriminately in our environment we should say something”

‎ “We will on our part continue to do our best in terms of proper waste management through sensitization and advocacy as we urge all residents to containerize their waste for easy collection by government accredited PSP”
‎
‎”For industries domiciled in the state, let me remind them of the need to allow government accredited PSP assigned to them to perform their statutory duties instead of patronizing illegal PSP which will attract sanction when they are caught by our enforcement team as OGWAMA will not allow them to turn the state to dumpsites for illegal industrial waste some of which are not environmentally friendly” Akintunde added.

He did not forget to remind all residents of the State that Ogun State Waste Management Authority will step-up it enforcement activities in all nooks and crannies of the state to maintain a clean,safe and healthy environment .

International News

Barca Transfermarket Values: Raphinha, 8 Others Drop, 3 Players Rise

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3 days ago

June 5, 2026

thecolumnng

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June 5th, Transfermarkt updated. The new market values of Barcelona players. Three players increased and nine decreased, with Raphinha dropping by 10 million to 70 million euros.

Increase (Euros)
Joan-Garcia increased by 5 million to 45 million

Eric-Garcia increased by 5 million to 40 million

Gerard-Martin increased by 10 million to 35 million

Decrease (Euros)
Raphinha decreased by 10 million to 70 million

Kounde decreased by 5 million to 60 million

Balde decreased by 5 million to 50 million

De Jong decreased by 10 million to 35 million

Casado decreased by 2 million to 18 million

Christensen decreased by 1 million to 8 million

Cancelo decreased by 1 million to 8 million

Lewandowski decreased by 1 million to 7 million

Szczesny decreased by 100,000 to 800,000

Unchanged (Euros)
Yamal 200 million

Pedri 150 million

Fermin 100 million

Cubarsi 80 million

Olmo 60 million

Ferran Torres 50 million

Rashford 40 million

Gavi 30 million

Bernal 30 million

Araujo 20 million

Bardghji 15 million

Entertainment

Singer Niniola Laments Husband’s Death

Published

3 days ago

June 5, 2026

thecolumnng

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Singer Niniola Apata has opened up about her late husband, Michael Ndika, and the central role he played in her music career and personal life.

Speaking in a video at a gathering held in his honour, Niniola recounted how their relationship shaped her growth as an artist and as a person.

Ndika, CEO of African music platform NaijaReview, died on May 19, 2026 at 44.

She said he was her strongest supporter from day one even when she considered stepping away from music, he pushed her to continue.

According to her, Ndika believed in her talent and vowed to make her a star.

Niniola described their bond as inseparable, stressing how he was part of her daily routine and her main source of emotional support. Since his death, she said, her life has changed completely.

She thanked his family for embracing her and admitted that coping with the loss has been hard.

Reflecting on their marriage, she called it a love story.

She said Ndika gave her everything and lived for her and while she was the face and voice of her brand, he was the engine behind it.

She said: “My story with Michael is a love story. Michael did everything for me. Everything was for me, he was breathing for me. He loved me, I loved him so much. And I learned so much from Michael. But Michael met me raw, and he said, I’ll make you a superstar.’ And he did. I was just the face and the voice, but Michael was the engine.

“Even when I decided to, you know, give music a break, he didn’t let it. The first person I saw in the morning was Michael. And the last person who closed my eyes at night was Michael. So now what do I do? Tell me, what do I do? Michael was the best thing, the best person that ever happened to me.”