Daily Watch – Senate to grill Service Chiefs, 26 killed in Sudan conflict

The Senate has stated that it would grill the Service Chiefs on 7 and 8 February, over the state of insecurity in the country. This was disclosed by Senator Tokunbo Abiru. Abiru, the Committee Chairman, told journalists that the planned interface with the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, was shifted to Friday, since Wednesday and Thursday have been slated for the grilling of the Service Chiefs. The Senate had by its resolution summoned the Service Chiefs to appear before it in plenary for required explanations on the worsening security situation in the country, just as its Committee on Banking summoned the CBN Governor to appear before it on the state of the country’s economy and free flow of the Naira.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has explained the cause of the long queues in some filling stations in Lagos State. The NNPCL said the “tightness” was a result of what it called a “brief distribution issue.” The NNPCL spokesperson, Femi Soneye, dismissed insinuations of fresh fuel scarcity and supply issues, saying its products were available. He added that the distribution issue in some areas had been resolved. Similarly, the National Vice Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, said the queues might be due to panic-buying on the part of customers.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Ghana to follow through with the implementation of the $3 billion loan support programme. “It is important that Ghana sticks to the course and sees the programme being implemented over the next three years,” said Mr Abebe Selassie, African Department Director, IMF. He said this during a media briefing on Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic outlook and the Fund’s engagement with various countries. The Fund encouraged Ghanaian authorities, at the end of the first review Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement last month to, among others, improve tax administration. The government has since announced the implementation of a 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on electricity consumption and a GH¢100 annual emission levy for petrol and diesel car owners, with agitations from labour and trade unions. 

Fighting between local groups in western South Sudan has killed at least 26 people, officials said, as the country’s president and vice president called for an end to rising inter-communal violence. More than 150 people have been killed since last week in separate conflicts that have pitted armed youths from Warrap State against rivals from the neighbouring Lakes, Western Bar El Ghazal states, and Abyei, an administrative area that is jointly run by South Sudan and Sudan. The conflicts do not appear to be directly connected but are all linked to the control of land and natural resources. President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, whose forces battled each other during the 2013-2018 civil war, met to call for “an end to sub-national violence in parts of the country,” according to a post by the government on social media platform X. National elections are due later this year to choose leaders who will succeed the current transitional government.