By Suleiman Yakubu

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano State Council, has felicitated Malam Baba Dantiye over his appointment as the new Commissioner for Information in the state.
The congratulatory letter conveyed to Dantiye was jointly signed by the council Chairman and Secretary, Messrs. Abbas Ibrahim and Abba Murtala, respectively, on Saturday in Kano.
According to the council, the appointment of Dantiye is well deserved in view of his impressive pedigree as a former Editor with Triumph Newspapers, a two-term President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), a former Director General Media, a retired Permanent Secretary, and a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (mni).
The NUJ expressed optimism that their new senior colleague would carry all working journalists in the state along in the discharge of all the important tasks ahead.
“As a professional colleague, we pledge to give you all necessary support, cooperation, and understanding to enable you to succeed in the attainment of the noble objective,” the statement said.
The council also prayed to Allah to give him wisdom, sound health, and protection to discharge the assigned duty effectively and efficiently as a worthy ambassador.

By Suleiman Yakubu

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said that the local production of crude oil was the surest way to crash the retail price of products.
Mr. Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot Community in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Friday.
Anyaso said another strategy was to open up the import window by issuing licences to more private investors to ensure sufficient supply and competitive pricing.
He said the increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit as a result of the withdrawal of subsidy was also affecting marketers because there had been a significant reduction in demand for the product.
The Chairman hailed the recent inauguration of the Dangote refinery while expressing hope that it would commence production as soon as possible.
According to him, the only way to address the current price hike in the long run is to commence local production.
“We need to revitalise the existing four refineries, operationalize the Dangote refinery, and build more nodular refineries to meet local demand.
“There is also a need to give approval for more people to import products to ensure sufficient supply in the short and medium term,” he said.
Anyaso said local refining will also have a positive spillover effect on the prices of other products like Automotive Gas Oil, Dual-Purpose Kerosene, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, as there will be no need for foreign exchange for them.
Meanwhile, PMS now sells for between ₦540 and ₦550 per litre in Awka, the state capital.
This is in contrast to the recently published price of ₦520.