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Tag: Abuja

  • NSCDC officers to check fuel hoarding nationwide

    NSCDC officers to check fuel hoarding nationwide

    The Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu on Monday disclosed that the corps had commenced deployment of personnel from all state command nationwide for proper surveillance of fuel supply across the country.

    He said the gesture was an effort to stem diversion of the product.

    Muhammadu who disclosed this during an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja noted that the move was in line with the federal government’s resolve to tackle the issue of fuel diversion which has caused monumental hardship on Nigerians.

    According to him, “The diversion of the fuel remained a major challenge in the country and that is why the deployment of personnel in all state command across the country becomes imperative to put an end to the lingering fuel scarcity. The era of fuel diversion is over. This step will remain a continuous exercises till the situation is normalized. NSCDC is more determined to chase sabotage out of business including tanker drivers, independent and major oil marketers.”

    The CG stated that the latest arrangement between the corps and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu was to ensure that the corps station his men strategically across the country to ensure that every truck from the depots get to their final destinations, while efforts are in place to provide adequate tracking system to monitor the movement of trucks.

    He said the corps was also exploring new ways to monitor and protect pipelines, especially the use of technology and sophisticated gadgets to track down vandals. “I can assure you that we are already exploring new approaches which will include the massive deployment of technology as opposed to conventional approach.”

    The NSCDC boss, who decried the spate of oil diversion and oil theft in the country, said the corps was working round the clock to stem the tide.

    Muhammadu attributed illegal diversion to corruption in the country and act of economic sabotage by criminal elements.

    He stated that the act was driven by desperation for material acquisition at expense of Nigerians.

    The commandant-general while assuring that the NSCDC would continue to do its best to ensure the security of lives and property in line with its mandate called on the media, host communities and other stakeholders to cooperate with the NSCDC and other security agencies in tackling the menace.
  • Fuel scarcity is a gangup by oil marketers, says Rep

    Fuel scarcity is a gangup by oil marketers, says Rep

    A member of the House of Representatives, Olajide Olatunbosun (APC, Oyo) said Nigerians should direct heir anger to independent  oil marketer for the hardships they are currently going through due to fuel scarcity.

    He said the removal of petroleum subsidy in January was responsible for the refusal of the marketers to import fuel.

    According to Olatunbosun, who is a member of House Committee on Appropriation, the resultant hardship foisted on the country was meant to arm-twist the government into agreeing to their terms which may be inimical to the interest of Nigerians.

    While reacting to comments on President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic policy during the weekend in Abuja, Olatunbosun said the implementation of the Single Treasury Account (TSA) was the best to have happened to the Nigerian economy.

    He said: “In January, fuel subsidy was removed but there is a gang up to sabotage this government by some elements. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was to import 50 percent of our fuel consumption while the balance was to be given to independent marketers that have refused to supply the fuel.

    “In the past, they were importing it but this stopped suddenly. My understanding is that the stoppage of patronage they were getting from subsidy, which was a monumental fraud was the cause.

    “It means they were never in that business because they loved Nigeria and Nigerians in the first place, they were doing it solely for the ill-gotten wealth they get from the undue advantage they get through the subsidy but because there is no more free fund to get from the subsidy, they stopped importing the product.

    “Unfortunately, that was not communicated to Nigerians. I think there is a need to go back to the 2012 report of the House probe on the subsidy, those indicted should be prosecuted.

    “That forex scarcity was responsible for their inability to bring in fuel is a diversionary excuse because fuel importation is prioritized since it affects the economy directly”.

    The lawmaker further condemned unpatriotic Nigerians with domicilary accounts running into $20b saying it was a major cause of the falling naira and a struggling economy.

    Noting that the TSA has nothing to do with the issue of dollar exchange rate, Olatunbosun said, “I will rather say that it has helped us as a nation in a way. This is because when you have an economy being driven by ill-gotten stupendous wealth chasing the dollar, maybe by now we would be talking about N500 to a dollar.

    “The TSA is one good policy that has happened to our economy because there have been monumental leakages in all agencies of government, most especially those generating revenue.

    “Nigerians have about $20b in various domicilary accounts by individuals and corporate entities. That is over N1 trillion at N300, the size of our budget, and if it’s at N200 that’s I’ve N4 trillion, that is still huge.

    “All over the world I have never seen a nation where the citizens have such reserve of foreign currency. This is not America where the dollars us he legal tender, so why are keeping such a huge money in our dollar accounts?

    “The reason is simple, we don’t believe in our own country. Until that trend is reversed, it is going to be same song we will be singing about the state of our economy, that the naira is falling, dollar and other currencies appreciating he naira.

    “If I have my way, I will prostrate to these Nigerian and beg them to bring the dollars out. If we pump just $10b of that money  into our economy, one can only imagine the rippling effects on all facets of our economy”.

  • Judge’s absence stalls ruling on legality of Dasuki’s detention

    Judge’s absence stalls ruling on legality of Dasuki’s detention

    The Absence of Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja stalled the ruling scheduled fro yesterday on whether or not the continued detention of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki was legal.
    Dasuki, who is on trial before the court on charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, had challenged his continued detention and urged the court to either quash the charge against him or halt proceedings indefinitely until he was released from detention.
    The ex-NSA, in a motion argued by his lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), accused the prosecution of violating an earlier of the court, admitting him to bail. He urged the court not to further indulge the prosecution by allowing it to continue with proceedings in the case.
    Justice Ademola was expected to rule yesterday on whether or not Dasuki’s continued detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) was a violation of his earlier orders granting him bail and permitting him to travel abroad for medical reasons.
    When parties got to court yesterday, they were informed by court officials that the judge was not available.
    It was learnt that the judge’s absence was in relation to the court’s Easter vacation which was still on as at yesterday.
    No date has been fixed for the ruling as an official of the court said it was the prerogative of the judge only to determine when to schedule for judgement or ruling.
    Similar application by Dasuki had been rejected by two judges in earlier rulings.
    Justice Peter Affen of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had, in a ruling on March 4 this year, held thaT Dasuki’s application lacked merit.
    The judge further held that the order granting bail to the defendant (Dasuki) did not preclude him from being re-arrested by other agencies of the Federal Government in respect of other alleged crime.
    “Though, both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the DSS are agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria, they are established under separate enactments and vested with distinct legal persona, powers and responsibilities such that one is not liable for action or inaction of the other.
    “Even criminal prosecution is undertaken by them separately in the name of the Federal Government of Nigeria merely to facilitate the due administration of justice, which does not alter the mark of separate and distinct legal identities.
    “This being so, the inevitable conclusion to reach is that the applicant has not made out a proper case of disobedience of the order made by this court on December 21, 2015 and therefore there is no legal or factual basis upon which the court can prohibit the complainant from further prosecuting the instant charges not to mention any other charge before any other court as prayed by the second defendant.
    “The point has already been made that the order allegedly disobeyed or violated did not contemplate any government agency other than the EFCC and that this court did not restrain the arrest, the re-arrest or detention of the second defendant or any of the defendants for further offences when alleged against them,” the judge said.
    Justice Affen added that there was “no correlation” between the prayer sought by Dasuki to discharge him and the alleged disobedience of court order.
    “I have found no correlation whatsoever and none has been demonstrated between the alleged disobedience of court order and being discharged of the offences charged.
    “I take the considered view that even if the second defendant/applicant has succeeded in establishing the case of disobedience of the orders granted on December 21, 2015, and I have already held that he did not do so, that would not constitute valid grounds for discharging him of the offences preferred against him,” he said.
    On February 9 this year, Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf (also of the High Court of the FCT) held, in a ruling on   a similar application by Dasuki, held that the ex-NSA was in error in his argument that his continued detention was in breach of a subsisting order of the court.
  • PDP failed to plan for raining day, says Buhari

    PDP failed to plan for raining day, says Buhari

    • Says Nigeria’s integrity needs to be re-established

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja said that the 16 years rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed to plan for Nigeria’s raining day despite high revenue from oil during the period.

    He spoke at the Presidential Villa while receiving the President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Dr Bernard O. Aliyu.

    For the greater part of the last 16 years, he noted that Nigeria’s oil was sold above $100 per barrel.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, however regretted that Nigeria did not have much to show for the high revenue.

    He said: “In the First Republic, more enduring infrastructure was built with meagre resources. But in the past 16 years, we made a lot of money without planning for the rainy day.

    “We showed a lot of indiscipline in managing our economy, and that is why we are where we are today. But this time round, we’ll do our best.” He added

    He harped on the need to ensure that the potentials of Nigeria are urgently harnessed and used for the good of the country.

    He added: “Nigeria needs to work on her potentials, so that we don’t remain permanently at the level of potentials.

    “If Ethiopia is sustained largely by her airline industry, we have greater potentials here. But we must move out, engage with the rest of the world, as we need to re-establish the integrity of this country. We need to rebuild this country again.” He said

    Dr Aliyu, the Nigerian-born ICAO president commended President Buhari for strides on anti- corruption, and urged Nigeria to pay more attention to development of civil aviation.

    “Civil aviation is a catalyst for economic development. The level of aviation development in any country mirrors the economic development of that country,” Dr Aliyu said.

    He also pledged to support the development of the aviation industry in Nigeria, urging the country to improve on training and capacity development, aviation security, aerodromes and air navigation, runways, control towers, terminal buildings, among others.

  • Wike heads PDP’s convention committee

    Wike heads PDP’s convention committee

    Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike is to head the National Convention Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as chairman.

    The Governor of Taraba state, Mr. Dairus Ishiaku will serve as Wike’s deputy while his counterpart in Ebonyi state, Mr. Dave Umahi will serve as secretary.

    A statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the committee would be inaugurated on Tuesday.

    Other committees also to be inaugurated by on Tuesday include the Reconciliation Committee, which will be chaired by the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    Senator Ibrahim Mantu is to serve as deputy chairman of the Reconciliation committee.

    The Finance Committee has Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo as chairman,while Senator Godswill Akpabio will serve as deputy.

    The party has similarly set up a Zoning Committee, to be chaired by the Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Mr. Emmanuel Udom, with and Mr. Kelechi Igwe as secretary

    The statement added that the committees will be inaugurated by the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Ali Modi-Sheriff at the Abuja national secretariat of the party.

    Various stakeholders and interest groups within the party have been mounting pressure on the leadership of the party to set in motion programmes for the national convention tentatively fixed for May 21.

    The pressure was a reaction to a directive by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) mandating the National Chairman to set up the committees, for the purposes of conducting the convention.

  • Photo: Chaotic fuel situation

    Photo: Chaotic fuel situation

  • Party chief’s position on Bayelsa, others personal, says APC

    Party chief’s position on Bayelsa, others personal, says APC

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed a statement by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank.

      Frank had alleged that Minister of State for Agriculture Heineken Lokpobiri bribed ex-Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva to become minister.

    But APC’s National Secretary Mai Mala Buni, in a statement in Abuja, said: “The bogus and misleading allegations are distractions to the party’s resolve to support the President deliver on the promises made by our party to the electorate.

    “The APC national leadership remains united and committed to the task of bringing cohesion to the party at all levels.

    “Recently, the APC held its national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings where positive and far-reaching decisions were taken by the party’s leadership to drive the party forward.

    “The party will not deny anybody or interest the right to seek justice where he feels this has been denied him. However, we appeal that we play by the rules in our engagements and be guarded in our utterances.

    “The public is advised not to misinterpret or confuse Frank’s personal opinions to be the official position of the party or the true reflection of what is happening inside the party.

    ‘’For the umpteenth time, only the APC national chairman and national secretary are authorised to speak for the party.”

    The party’s deputy national publicity secretary, made the allegations yesterday while speaking on issues affecting the party at his residence in Abuja.

    He urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal, not to jeopardise his office by accepting nominations from Sylva to occupy political positions meant for the state.

    But the SGF said the leadership of the APC in Bayelsa State should leave him out of their problem and find a way of resolving their internal crisis.

    When contacted on phone, the SGF said: “I want to reiterate that Timi Sylva is a  good friend of mine. That notwithstanding, it is not the SGF that does appointment. It is the President that does appointment.

    “In any case, l don’t know what they are talking about concerning Sylva and appointments because Chief Timipre Sylva is also a friend to the President and l am sure he doesn’t need to pass through me to get anyone appointed.

    “By the way, l don’t know these people, so let them go and fight the Bayelsa battles and leave the SGF out of it.”

  • Crude Price: Group Tasks NEPC on economic recovery

    The New Initiative for Credible Leadership (NIPL) has tasked the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to increase its activities toward ensuring increase in non-oil export as a solution to the economic hardship caused by fallen crude oil price.

    It said the NEPC has a crucial role to play in Nigeria’s economic recovery since there was a consensus that the era of depending on crude oil as the country’s major revenue source was over.

    A statement issued by the group in Abuja on Thursday noted that the current economic challenge offered a unique chance for the NEPC to fulfill its mandate of developing and diversifying the nation’s export trade since it could easily get the buy-in of Nigerians at this point.

    The Executive Director (NICL), Rev Samson Onwu, noted that the NEPC must also live up to its responsibility of assisting the development and promotion of export-oriented industries since the country must first have products to sell to the world before increasing its export.

    He said:  “Now is a good time as any for the Executive Director of NEPC, Mr Olusegun Awolowo to implement all the impressive concepts and ideas he had articulated in the past. His public pronouncements have been source of hope in the past and we believe implementation of his ideas will bring the much needed succor to Nigerians.

    “Our observation is that Nigerians have been looking inwards since the pressure on the naira first manifested and our belief is that it is a matter of time before the small and medium scale industries that were recently re-activated will begin to produce surplus to local consumption.

     

    “NEPC must prepare for this eventuality to ensure that there will be no glut and that industries are able to export such surpluses without breaking sweat.

     

    “We equally expect that Mr. Awolowo can now activate the various foreign contacts and relationships that the Council has built in the past years for the benefit of Nigerian companies that are ready to export their goods and services.”

     

    He advised Awolowo not to shy away from exploiting the cooperation that is possible with government agencies with complementary functions to ensure that the economy is out of the woods.

  • Police arrest eight persons over Abuja clash

    Police arrest eight persons over Abuja clash

    The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Wilson Inalegwu, said eight suspects had been arrested in connection with the clash in Gwagwalada on Saturday.

    Inalegwu told newsmen in Abuja on Thursday that investigation on the incident in which houses, shops and vehicles were destroyed, had reached advanced stage to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the fracas.

    “All those found wanting will soon be taken to court for prompt prosecution,’’ he said.

    He said that no stone would be left unturned in applying the law fully in order to serve as deterrent to anyone who may want to follow the same barbaric path.

    He disclosed that normalcy had returned to the area and assured residents of the FCT that security agencies are on top of the situation.

    NAN recalls that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, had while reacting to the incident, directed the security agencies in the territory to arrest those involved in the clash.

    The minister also directed the agencies to ensure that all those involved in the fracas faced the full wrath of the law, saying that nobody was above the law.

     

  • CCT trial : Saraki flies in experts from US, Israel, Scandinavian countries

    CCT trial : Saraki flies in experts from US, Israel, Scandinavian countries

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki may have decided to engage the prosecution in the suit filed against him by the Federal Government over his asset declarations when he held sway as governor of Kwara State.

    To this end, the Senate President, sources said, has flown in a group of experts from the United States, Israel and one of the Scandinavian countries to provide ‘specialized services’ to his team of lawyers led by Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN.

    It was gathered that the experts are not lawyers, but are crack investigators, forensic and handwriting specialists whose role will be to help get more information on the witnesses and documents that have already been filed before the Tribunal by the prosecution.

    The experts, are believed to have arrived on Monday and immediately had a preliminary meeting with the Senate President’s team on Monday in Lagos. They are also to move to Abuja any moment from now.

    “The investigators will ferret out and scrutinize thoroughly all available information on the eight prosecution witnesses, including their school records, service records from their past and present places of employment and personal information that may help the defence team in the course of the trial. Most of those so-called witnesses will not be credible when information concerning their life is presented publicly before the Tribunal.

    “It is also expected that with the fear that the prosecution may present forged documents, our team needs to be vigilant and pro-active considering the manner in which the proceedings before the tribunal is being conducted. Our people believe that with the way properties that have nothing to do with Saraki are being put on the charge sheet, there are tendencies that documents to sustain their claims may have been forged. All these the experts will screen and help the lawyers with information that may help them,” the source said.

    The listed witnesses who are mostly from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are Michael Wetcas, Nura Ali Bako, Mustapha Abubakar Musa, Nwachukwu Amasu, Samuel Madojemin, Adamu Garba and Bayo Dauda ( a member of staff of Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB).