In an important development, President Bola Tinubu will be addressing the nation today, Monday, July 31, 2023, at 7 pm.

The announcement was made by his Special Adviser on Strategy, Communication, and Special Duties, Dele Alake, in a statement released earlier today.

The broadcast, which will be aired on major television, radio stations, and electronic media outlets, comes amidst the recent removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and its impact on the cost of living for Nigerians.

Last week, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expressed dissatisfaction with the "Subsidy is gone" comment made by President Tinubu during his May 29, 2023, inauguration. 

The NLC criticized the Tinubu administration for its perceived "unfriendly" policies, accusing it of treating Nigerians as slaves. In response, the NLC is planning a nationwide strike, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, to protest the hardship caused by the fuel subsidy removal.

The NLC called on the Federal Government to take decisive action in addressing the criminal content of the subsidy and provide measures to protect ordinary citizens from unnecessary pain and hardship. They also stressed the need to refurbish all refineries to ensure sufficient domestic fuel supply.

As Nigerians eagerly await President Tinubu's address, it remains to be seen how the government will respond to the growing concerns and demands surrounding the fuel subsidy removal. 

In a recent development at the Federal High Court in Lagos State, Justice Nicholas Oweibo rejected the Federal Government's assertion that they had not received a copy of the bail application submitted by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in his alleged gun possession trial.

Justice Oweibo determined that there was concrete evidence of the government being served with the bail application. Emefiele's legal team, led by Joseph B. Daudu, SAN, had presented the bail application and urged the court to hear it promptly, stating that all necessary conditions had been met.

Daudu highlighted that the proof of service endorsed by the Attorney General's office was available in the court's file.

Additionally, Daudu implored the court to put an end to what he described as the "oppression" faced by his client from the Department of State Security, which had arrested Emefiele, and proceed with the bail application.

However, the government's lawyer, Deputy Director of Prosecution, N.B. Jones, informed the court that she had not received the bail application and had not seen it as of that moment.

Emefiele is currently facing a two-count charge of illegal possession of a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a license, an incident alleged to have occurred on June 15, 2023, at Ikoyi.

The court's ruling allows Emefiele's bail application to proceed, marking a significant step in the ongoing trial.