Peter and Christine Scott, who have been married for 46 years, made the decision after former nurse Christine, 80, was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia several weeks ago.

The couple want to travel to Switzerland to die in each other's arms in the death capsule – known as the Sarco – to mark the end of their long and happy marriage.

Following an emotional family summit during which the couple shared their fears of suffering years of infirmity within a failing NHS, and losing their home and life savings to pay crippling care costs, their son and daughter have reluctantly said they'll respect their choice.

Peter, 86, and Christine, who have six grandchildren, are now in the process of registering with The Last Resort, a Swiss-based organisation that offers assisted dying in the Sarco, unveiled in July.

It has not yet been tried but its creator, Australian-born Philip Nitschke – nicknamed Doctor Death by right-to-life opponents – expects the first suicide to take place soon. The Scotts say they will wait until the new twin model of the machine is launched later this year.

In an extraordinarily frank interview at their home in the Suffolk village of Mellis, they revealed their plans in the hope of lending weight to the campaign to allow assisted dying in the UK, where it is illegal.

Currently, a backbench Labour MP is considering bringing forward a private members' bill after Sir Keir Starmer backed having a free Commons vote on the issue.

Peter said: 'We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you.

'The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris's mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me.

'Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life. Assisted dying gives her that opportunity and I would not want to go on living without her.

'We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position. What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can't do that here in the UK.

'Yet look at the alternative. The chances of getting prompt NHS treatment for the ailments of old age seem pretty remote so you end up trapped by infirmity and pain.

'I don't want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don't call that a life.

'Finally, the Government swoops in to take your savings and your house to pay for it all.'

Currently he is wrestling with all the paperwork required for the full application.

He is anxious about Christine's application since securing assisted suicide for dementia sufferers is harder than for people with, for example, terminal cancer.

The Sarco was invented at the request of British stroke victim Tony Nicklinson who was left conscious but unable to move or speak following a stroke. 

He approached Nitschke to make a death pod that could be operated by the blink of an eye, the only communication left to him. 

Nicklinson, who begged the courts to be legally allowed to die but was refused, eventually starved himself to death in 2012, before the Sarco was created.

The pod works by replacing air, which is 21 per cent oxygen and 79 per cent nitrogen, with 100 per cent nitrogen. This swiftly renders the occupant unconscious and they then stop breathing in a process that takes less than ten minutes. 

A camera inside the pod records their final moments and the footage is handed to a coroner.

It is anticipated that the Sarco, which is made using a 3-D printer, will be free but people must be able to pay for their body to be removed by funeral directors afterwards. Peter and Christine would like to be cremated and have their ashes repatriated and scattered in the graveyard of their local church.

The only additional currently known cost would be £16 for the liquid nitrogen used in the pod, making it more economical than other assisted dying clinics, which typically charge £10,000.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Nitschke confirmed his couple's suicide pod was ready for launch. He said: 'The capsule for two people works exactly the same as the single Sarco but there is only one button so they will decide between them who will push it. Then they'll be able to hold each other and one of them will push the button.'

Christine already has her final days planned. 'I'd like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river. I'd have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper, and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot. 

'I'd make a playlist including Wild Cat Blues and The Young Ones by Cliff Richard and I've found a poem called Miss Me But Let Me Go, which sums up exactly how I feel.'

Appropriately, the 1930s song Goodbye by the American composer Gordon Jenkins will be on Peter's playlist. A former RAF aero engineer, he worked in the aviation industry around the world before returning to his native East Anglia to carve a second career as a careers adviser. 

He and Christine fell in love at first sight after meeting in a jazz club. She was a nurse with a small daughter from a first marriage. After marrying, they had a son together.

Their children have been encouraging them to move into a retirement complex but the couple are determined to make assisted dying a possibility. 

Christine says: 'It's a lovely life but I have this diagnosis, and that's crystallised our thinking. Medicine can slow vascular dementia but it can't stop it. At the point I thought I was losing myself, I'd say: 'This is it, Pete, I don't want to go any further.'

He adds: 'I've said to her, 'You make the decision and I'll be with you.' Death holds no problem for me whatsoever.

'I'd just give her a big hug and say: 'Hope to see you later.'

MailOnline

In the span of three months, the Federal Government spent approximately N701m to fund the foreign trips of the country’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, to five countries, Saturday PUNCH can confirm.

Recall that in 2023, the Federal Government allocated N1.5bn for the procurement of vehicles for the Office of the First Lady.

This budgetary allocation was outlined in the N2.1tn supplementary budget for 2023 approved by the National Assembly.

A breakdown of the budget shows the government planned to spend N2.9bn on sport utility vehicles for the Presidential Villa and another N2.9bn to replace operational vehicles for the Presidency.

Former Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, however, claimed that the N1.5bn budgeted for vehicles was for the Presidency and not for the First Lady’s office.

However, checks by our correspondent, using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses Federal Government’s spending, showed that the government paid out N700,707,532 over three months for the First Lady’s foreign trips to five countries, including two African nations.

On November 17, 2023, the government, through the State House headquarters transit account, released N77,659,888 for the purchase of foreign exchange ($94,314) for the First Lady’s trip to the United States.

On February 24, 2024, the government, through the State House headquarters transit account, paid N149,794,284 for the purchase of foreign exchange ($152,831) for the First Lady’s trip to France on January 4, 2024.

On March 15, 2024, N202,386,198 was also paid by the government through the State House account for the purchase of foreign exchange ($126,834) for the First Lady’s trip to Mozambique that month.

On the same day, the government paid N144,571,785 for the purchase of foreign exchange ($96,118) for the First Lady’s trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 9, 2024.

The government, through the same State House account, paid N126,295,377 for the purchase of foreign exchange ($83,967) for the First Lady’s trip to London that month.

Additionally, the government spent N314,231,472 on six programmes of the First Lady within four months.

On May 24, 2024, Rock of Ages Total Events Centre Ltd received N131,921,786 for full-scale decoration of State House events for the First Lady’s programmes for women, youth, and children.

On May 29, 2024, the State House paid N107,630,000 to  Makeway Nigeria Limited for the provision of multimedia and related services during the First Lady’s programmes for women, youth, and children.

This indicates that a total sum of N1,014,939,004 has been spent by the government on the First Lady’s trips and programmes over seven months altogether.

Reacting, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership said it was out of place to spend such a humongous amount on the First Lady’s office, which isn’t recognised by the constitution.

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Executive Director of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, said the complacency of the National Assembly has criminally empowered the executive to spend the national treasury on frivolities, and the only way Nigerians can stop the ugly trend is to consistently speak out against it.

He said, “It is more than profligacy. It is actually a misappropriation of funds because the office of the First Lady doesn’t exist in our constitution and is not supposed to be appropriated for. So, every appropriation that is made for that office is illegal. It is just because our National Assembly is complacent. They are not performing their oversight functions the way they should.

“Otherwise, everybody who dips his or her hand into the national coffers to fund any project that is not in accordance with the dictates of our constitution has committed an offence. If it is elected government personnel, it is an impeachable offence. So, it is out of place for such a humongous amount.”

He noted that the frivolous spending by the government has given the masses no reason to believe the numerous promises of lifting them out of the current hardship.

“Nigerians cannot reason with the government because they (the government) have not set their priorities right. They spend on frivolities rather than on things that will improve the lives of the people. So, no matter how genuine the government’s intention is in redeeming the economy, they are not showing us those signals as of now. Nigerians should begin to agitate in the right direction, and constitutionality must be a sine qua non in everything the government does,” he added.

Also reacting, the Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekper, said there is no law in the country that supports the First Lady’s office, and it is grossly illegal for the Federal Government to deploy scarce national resources for any activity related to the office.

He said, “The first question you should ask is whether the money is provided in the budget and whether it is proper to make provisions for a purported office that is not recognized in the constitution or any law of Nigeria. I am not aware of any constitutional provision creating the office of the First Lady, nor am I aware of any law creating the office. So, what they are doing is clearly illegal. It is an abuse of office, especially if it is funded from the public treasury unless she brings the money from her private purse. But if it is from taxpayers’ money, it is an abuse of office.”

Punch

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has said the economic situation in Nigeria presently is scary.

The private sector-led think tank group said the country needs to take bold and decisive steps to address the challenges.

Chairman of the NESG, Niyi Yusuf, at a pre-summit news conference in Abuja on Friday, noted that one of Nigeria’s pressing concerns now is translating economic growth into improved lives and livelihoods for all its citizens.

Recalling the numbers from the country’s second-quarter 2024 gross domestic product (GDP), Yusuf, who was represented by Ufot Udeme, said that in Q2-2024 Nigeria’s economy recorded a fast GDP growth of 3.2 per cent, compared to 2.5 per cent in Q2 2023.

“Agriculture grew at 1.4 per cent in Q2-2024 from 1.5 per cent in Q2-2023, while industries grew by 3.53 per cent in Q2-2024 from -1.9 per cent in Q2-2023,” he said.

He noted that the services sector recorded a growth of 3.8 per cent in Q2-2024, falling from 4.4 per cent in Q2-2023.

“Nigeria’s weak economic performance is reflected in the declining living standards, with per capita income falling from US$2,162.60 in 2022 to US$1,645.76 in 2023,” he said, adding, “The rising cost of a healthy diet likely worsened the multidimensional poverty rate, which was 62.9 per cent in 2022.”

He said Nigeria also ranks low on the Human Capital Development Index (HCDI), with a score of 0.55, placing it 161st out of 191 countries.

“Our businesses and citizens are under massive pressure from rising costs, inflation, and a struggling economy.

“In 2023, the increased cost of living pushed an estimated 104 million people into poverty (46 per cent poverty rate) from 100 million in 2022. These numbers are compounded by food insecurity, as the number of people suffering from acute hunger in Nigeria is projected to increase to 26.5 million in the June-August 2024 lean season, from a staggering 18.6 million people at the end of 2023 and over 38 per cent of under-five children suffering from chronic malnutrition.”

The Chairman of the NESG said, “These are indeed difficult times for our nation. Global instability, regional volatility, and national socioeconomic uncertainty demand that we take bold and decisive steps.”

He said the theme for this year’s Summit, “Collaborative Action for Growth, Competitiveness, and Stability,” emphasises that now, more than ever, Nigeria must embrace a business-unusual approach, innovative governance, and transformational political leadership.

“It is only through collaborative action between government, business, and civil society that we can unlock Nigeria’s vast potential,” he said.

“Though we face tough times, there are also incredible opportunities ahead. The 30th Nigerian Economic Summit offers a platform for exploring these opportunities, and together, we can shape Nigeria’s future toward shared and sustainable prosperity.”

He noted that the summit, which will be held from October 14 to 16, 2024, in Abuja, will focus on three key areas of People, Leadership, and Institutions, with sub-themes designed to tackle Nigeria’s most pressing challenges and identify opportunities for growth.

The Guardian

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has fined the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and other electricity distribution companies for overbilling customers.

NERC published the fine in its September 2024 supplementary order on Friday.

According to the electricity regulator, out of all the distribution companies (DisCos), AEDC has the highest fine of N1.69 billion.

The order, signed by Musiliu Oseni, NERC vice-chairman, and Dafe Akpeneye, commissioner for legal, licensing, and compliance, follows a comprehensive investigation into AEDC’s billing practices.

According to the order, NERC discovered that AEDC and other distribution companies overcharged customers between January and September 2023.

The commission said the respective fines “represent 10 percent of the overbilled amount”.

NERC also said AEDC’s annual operating expenditure would be reduced by N1.69 billion effective from September 1.

Other DisCos penalised are Eko Distribution Company (EKEDC) (N1.41 billion); Benin Distribution Company (BEDC) (N804 million); Enugu Distribution Company (EEDC) (N310 million); and Ibadan Distribution Company (IBEDC) (N15 million).

According to the order, Ikeja Distribution Company (IKEDC) will pay N1.41 billion as a fine; Jos Distribution Company (JEDC) N1.33 billion; and Kaduna Distribution Company (KAEDCO) N115 million.

Also, Kano Distribution Company (KEDCO) was fined N20 million, Port-Harcourt Distribution Company (PHDC) N1.16 million and Yola Distribution Company (YEDC) N54 million.

NERC said the penalty was a response to the distribution companies’ non-compliance with previous directives aimed at capping estimated billing for electricity consumers.

The Cable

The Federal Government has declared Monday, 16th September, 2024 as Public Holiday to mark the celebration of the Eid-ul-Mawlid, the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government on Friday, in a statement by Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary in the ministry.

He congratulated Muslim Ummah both at home and in the Diaspora on this occasion.

Tunji-Ojo urged the Muslim Ummah and, by extension, Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of patience, sacrifice, and resilience.

While congratulating the Muslim Ummah on the occasion, the Minister implored them to use the opportunity of the period to pray for enduring peace and a more prosperous egalitarian nation.

Daily Trust

In gym salvaged from rubble, Gazans release anger on weight machines

Israeli air strikes destroyed the building housing Adli al-Assar's gym in Khan Younis in February. So he decided he doesn't need a building.

"I went to the area and dug with my own hands, along with the help of my children and friends, until we were able to retrieve some of the equipment," he explained.

Now, his reopened gym is crammed with salvaged weightlifting machines on an empty patch of ground surrounded by a corrugated fence, where dozens of Gazans were pumping iron under the open sky. For displaced men and boys with no other outlet for their anger and sorrow, it's more than just sport, he says.

"They come here to release their negative energy, to relieve the psychological strain they experience living in displacement, in tents, and under harsh conditions," al-Assar said.

Nearly a year into a war which began with Hamas' deadly attack on Israel and has led to an Israeli assault that has driven nearly all Gazans from their homes, there are few facilities for recreation. All schools are closed; public buildings are bombed out or shut.

At the outdoor gym, weightlifter Tairq Bakroun hoisted barbells in bicep curls, worked on his pecs at a pulley machine, then stepped behind the bench press to spot for another lifter.

"I lost everything, we lost our families, our homes," he said.

"We come here to the gym just to release the anger within us. Instead of taking it out in the house, and breaking the house and the tents, we come here and release our anger on the machines."

Reuters

US officials question if easing Ukraine weapons restrictions would pay off

As the U.S. and Britain discuss allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike deep within Russia, some U.S. officials are deeply skeptical that doing so would make a significant difference in Kyiv's battle against Russian invaders.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Washington on Friday to discuss with U.S. President Joe Biden whether to give Ukraine approval to use NATO-supplied weapons to hit targets far beyond Ukraine's borders, something the U.S. administration has so far not been willing to allow in the 2-1/2-year-old conflict.

U.S. officials noted that Ukraine already has the capability to hit targets in Russia using drones. U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles would enhance that capability, but they are too costly and limited in number to reshape the dynamic, they said.

Moreover, the Kremlin has largely moved perhaps the most immediate threat -- Russian warplanes launching glide bombs -- beyond the range of the U.S. missiles, the U.S. officials said.

They also believe Kyiv should focus on halting a Russian advance in Ukraine's east.

For Biden, the decision is not just tactical. It raises questions about whether authorizing such strikes might risk a direct war between NATO and Russia.

Russia warned at the United Nations on Friday that authorizing Ukraine to fire missiles far into Russia would turn NATO into "a direct party to hostilities against a nuclear power," and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that such a move would alter the scope of the conflict.

White House spokesman John Kirby said on Friday the United States took such threats seriously, even as he acknowledged there was nothing new in Putin's rhetoric.

Democratic U.S. Representative Jason Crow, a member of the House intelligence and foreign affairs committees, downplayed the threat of Putin attacking Poland or other NATO members in retaliation.

"I don't believe there's any indication that Vladimir Putin has an interest in picking a fight with NATO," he told Reuters, pointing to Russia's massive losses of men and armor in Ukraine. "To the contrary, I think he is avoiding a NATO confrontation."

WHAT WOULD UKRAINE STRIKE IN RUSSIA?

Speaking at Ramstein Air Base in Germany a week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the United States and its allies to ignore Russia's red lines and give permission for long-range strikes into Russia as a way to pressure Moscow.

"We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory ... so that Russia is motivated to seek peace," Zelenskiy said.

Two European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ukraine has submitted to the U.S. and Britain a list of potential targets inside Russia that could be hit if allowed.

The discussion about whether to ease restrictions on Ukraine echoes prior debates about Kyiv's pleas for other capabilities it hoped would give it an edge against Russian forces, from F-16 fighter jets to Abrams tanks.

"You've heard this (debate) before," said one U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Ukrainians initially wanted to use U.S.-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles to hit Russian airbases, officials said.

But the Pentagon has said 90% of Russian aircraft launching glide bombs, one of the top threats for Ukraine, are at airfields at least 300 kilometers (186 miles) away from Ukrainian-controlled territory. That puts them out of range of the ATACMS.

Ukraine now wants to use the missiles to strike Russian military command and control hubs, fuel and weapons depots and troop concentrations, officials said.

In addition to U.S. ATACMS, Kyiv wants to carry out long-range strikes into Russia using Storm Shadow missiles provided by Britain and the nearly identical French SCALP missiles.

Although Britain is expected to seek U.S. approval before lifting its restrictions on Storm Shadow missiles, a French diplomatic source said Paris did not need authorization from Washington for Ukraine to use French missiles.

FOCUS ON GROUND WAR

Another U.S. concern is that focusing on long-range strikes downplays what could be a bigger immediate threat: Russia's advances on the ground inside Ukrainian territory toward the strategic city of Pokrovsk. U.S. officials believe the loss of the city would deal a significant blow.

Analysts said Russia has many response options, short of direct war with NATO, if the United States or its allies allow Ukraine to unleash strikes deep into Russia.

In June, Putin spoke of possibly arming the West's enemies with Russian weapons to strike Western targets abroad, and of deploying conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies.

Ulrich Kuehn, an arms expert at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg, said he did not rule out Putin choosing to send some kind of nuclear message - for example testing a nuclear weapon in an effort to cow the West.

Still, Crow, the U.S. lawmaker, argued that Putin was in a weaker position after the Ukraine invasion, and any major response from Moscow created risks for him.

"Vladimir Putin is not 10-feet tall. We have seen that repeatedly over the last couple of years. He's very vulnerable, and frankly, he's in a position of significant weakness,” said Crow.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

No weapon can become game changer for Kiev — Pentagon

The US Department of Defense believes that no type of weapon will become a game changer allowing the Kiev government to emerge victorious in the current conflict, Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder told reporters at a regular briefing.

"I would point you to [Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austin's comments at Ramstein [US air base] last week, where he highlighted there is no capability, <…> no silver bullet that is going to enable Ukraine to succeed," he said.

Ryder added that, in Washington’s opinion, Ukraine should focus on employing capabilities currently at its disposal in a way that that gets them a stronger hand at the negotiating table

Reuters/Tass

Researchers have discovered ancient wall carvings depicting what appeared to be handbags designed with a square case and short, half circle handle.

Some date back 12,000 years, which predates makeup, perfume and hairbrushes. 

The earliest imagery was discovered in Turkey among the ruins of Göbekli Tepe, an ancient megalithic temple, which featured large stone pillars etched with bags.

Researchers have uncovered the same design in Mexico, Iraq and parts of South America, raising even more questions about the meaning of the motif - specifically how distant civilizations imagined the same object.

While the images are nearly identical to modern-day purses, experts have suggested that many of the images are of baskets.

But some have also argued that the idea of a handbag could have been created by ancient civilizations.  

The first modern handbag was designed in 1841 England by Samuel Parkinson, who needed a traveling case for his wife that could carry her belongings which were too big for a purse. 

Since then, the accessory has become a must have fashion item among both women and men. 

The most expensive handbag ever is the Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse that costs $3.8 million 

The Göbekli Tepe was built in 9,000 BC, featuring large, T-shaped stone pillars arranged in circles that were likely used for social events and rituals,

Some of its structures feature of what appeared to be clothing, belts, loincloths and handbags.

While experts do not know exactly what the motifs mean, they have theorized that ancient humans saw the design in relation to the cosmos,Live Mint reported.

The square 'bag' may stand for the Earth and the connected circle was a symbol of spirituality. 

Ancient text has shown that past civilizations believed the Earth was flat, which may be why they showed it as a square in their art. 

However, some researchers have argued that the design was the connection between our planet and the sky.

Another early example of a clutch has been found in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, made about 5,000 years ago, which show gods carrying a small, square purse that symbolized prosperity.

And while archaeologists have found evidence of baskets and tool bags used by the civilization, they have yet to uncover what has been found etched in walls. 

Archaeologists have made similar discoveries in Iraq.

Giant rock slabs found among the ruins of a Assyrian palace built between 883 and 859 BC depicted Genie's with wings who carried a handbag.

The structure features a genie with large, feathered wings holding what some have claimed is a handbag - while others are sure it is a small bucket.

Many experts have agreed that it was made to carry magic potions that the genie would sprinkle throughout the halls, but other translations have suggested the art shows a purse filled with intoxicants.

Historian Dr David Miano said in a recent YouTube video: 'These figures on the Assyrian palaces often have human bodies and animal heads, they're called the Apkalu.' 

He continued to explain that they are minor deities with the power of protect, which has been determined in ancient writings.

'They're carrying these things that people call handbags, but in reality they're buckets these are buckets to carry water sacred date palms,' said Dr Miano, noting archaeologists have found ancient buckets in Iraq that look similar to the etchings.

He noted that archaeologists have uncovered the actually buckets in the region. 

The same motif has also been found in Tula, Mexico among ruins created by the Toltecs, which shows a human-like figure holding a bag while surrounded by a snake.

Giant stone statues in Tula also  show figures clutching a handbag to their side - the structures were created in 750AD. 

'[A handbag] is a very simple device, anyone could come up with that,' said Dr Miano.

'You don't need to learn it from another culture, you can invent it yourself.' 

Daily Mail

A Spanish man has come up with an ingenious way of making money – crashing weddings and pretending to be the bride’s or the groom’s lover and asking them to run away together.

Ernesto, the middle-aged man behind the bizarre service, has become the talk of the town in Spain after appearing in a now-viral video posted on Antena 3’s Y Ahora Son SolesTikTok.

He claimed that, while most people see their wedding day as the happiest of their lives, for some it’s a nightmare waiting to happen. And those few happen to be his clientele. For a base fee of 500 euros ($550), Ernesto promises to crash the client’s wedding and pose as the love of their life, begging them to run away together just to get the event canceled.

“If you have doubts, you don’t want to get married or you don’t know how to say no, don’t worry anymore, I will cancel the wedding for you,” Ernesto says in the video. “You only have to tell me the time, place, and date and I will appear at the ceremony. I will say that I am the love of your life and we will run away together hand in hand.”

Apparently, the service started out as a joke, but after being inundated with requests from interested parties, Ernesto realized he was on to something. He currently charges 500 euros for crashing an event, which doesn’t include travel expenses, but he gets paid extra in case of unexpected incidents. For example, if he gets slapped, punched, or kicked, he gets paid more. Every slap earns him 50 euros ($55).

“Each slap is worth 50 euros. I try to run, but I am aware that every time I get hit, I get paid more. So, if I can go slower, I go slower. That’s how I earn my money,” Ernesto explained.

Believe it or not, Ernesto’s wedding crashing service has proven pretty popular, and he now allegedly has his schedule fully booked until November 2nd.

Oddity Central

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery says only 3 percent of local oil marketers are purchasing refined petroleum products.

Devakumar Edwin, vice-president of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), spoke during an X space organised by Nairametrics.

He said due to the low patronage, the refinery is forced to export 97 percent of its refined products.

“The conglomerate of all the importers are refusing to buy from us. It is very strange that after putting up the refinery to supply the products locally, I have to export every diesel and jet fuel because they do not want to buy from us,” Edwin said.

“We started selling the diesel, we fixed the price, and it was lower than the prevailing market price. Then, we brought the price further down and they (marketers) wrote to the president complaining.”

‘WHY OIL MARKETERS WROTE TO TINUBU’

Edwin said the marketers complained that the refinery reduced the price of diesel and so “they said they do not want to buy from us”.

Specifically, he said the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) wrote to President Bola Tinubu that the price cut affected their business “due to the large inventory of imported AGO”.

“I’m selling 2 percent to 3 percent to small traders who are willing to buy, while the rest 95 to 97% I’m forced to export,” he said.

The vice-president said the refinery may also be forced to export its petrol “if they are not willing to buy”.

“But to be very frank and straightforward, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has come forward,” Edwin said.

“They have been discussing. Athough the discussion has been going on for almost three weeks and it is not yet concluded, they are working to agree with us on the quantity of crude they can sell and they said they will monitor the products.

“They are going to have a team of 10 people sitting in the refinery. They will see the crude which we are going to receive, ensuring that everything is coming into the refinery, and they would watch whether we are producing and processing everything and then, they would watch whether we are giving back all the products.”

Dangote refinery commenced petrol production on September 3.

On the same day, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said the Dangote refinery is expected to supply 25 million litres of petrol daily in September and will subsequently increase this amount to 30 million litres daily from October.

On September 7, the NNPC denied reports that it intends to become Dangote refinery’s sole distributor following speculations that the national oil firm had planned to do so.

The company also said there is no guarantee that domestic refining would lead to lower prices compared to global parity pricing.

NNPC said Dangote refinery and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products.

The Cable