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Tag: issues

  • DPR issues 13 licences for modular refineries

    DPR issues 13 licences for modular refineries

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday said out of the  35 interests that were indicated in modular refineries, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had  issued licences to 13.

    The Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who made this disclosure, said he had already been invited to the ground breaking of the first one in Bayelsa State in February.

    He said: “So far, about 35 interests for modular refineries have been declared and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has issued licences to about 13 and I have been invited to the ground breaking ceremony of the first one in Bayelsa State next month.”

    Baru also said NNPC was targeting to forward the agreements for the selection of financials for the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC) and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited to the Corporation’s board during its meeting this month.

    The NNPC’s boss, according to a statement issued by the Corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, yesterday, said Baru disclosed this while briefing members of staff of the Corporation on the fuel supply situation in the country during a town hall meeting in Abuja.

    He added that once NNPC secures the funding, it would commence the rehabilitation of the refineries.

    The target, he said, was to achieve 90 per cent capacity utilisation before the end of next year.

    He said: “We are pushing towards the final selection of our financiers and we expect that when that is done, we’ll get the agreements and present them to our board, which is meeting  this month, to secure their endorsement. And once we have the funding, we would start the rehabilitation of the refineries towards a 90 per cent capacity utilization per stream day before the end of 2019.”

    NNPC said the development was to uphold  the promise to boosting petroleum products supply and distribution in the country

    He described the procedure for electing the financiers as painstaking, noting, however, that it was necessary to enable a desired closure on the subject.

    Baru said the Corporation was also encouraging new refining capacities to come on board, adding that there were two consortia that have indicated interest to co-locate refineries in Warri and Port Harcourt.

    He said NNPC would provide whatever utility services the companies might require, such as power, processed steam, water and land, stressing that the corporation has agreed in broad terms on areas of collaboration to fast track the development.

    “Am happy to inform you that progress has been made, up to the level of an acceptable detailed engineering design and we are in the process of mobilizing some of the refineries already identified for installation in Nigeria,” the GMD informed.

    He said the Kaduna State Government was also championing a proposal to co-locate another refinery close to the KRPC with the intent of sourcing Nigerien crude for its operations.

    Baru stated that other Greenfield refineries were to be brought on board soon in Kano and Kaduna, stressing while on board, they would source their crude from Niger Republic.

    He said the designs for the proposed refineries in Kano and Kaduna were ready, saying their construction would commence this year.

    The NNPC GMD revealed that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the corporation were collaborating to encourage the establishment of modular refineries in the Niger Delta area to encourage job creation.

    He noted that the Federal Government and the NNPC would continue to encourage private sector initiatives that would bring in competition in the petroleum products supply and distribution network so as to guarantee energy sufficiency for the country.

  • NAICOM issues revised micro insurance guideline

    •To serve low income earners, others

    The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has released a revised microinsurance guideline for the underserved and excluded segment of the populace.

    The commission said the guideline was also introduced as part of the financial inclusion strategy to stimulate growth in the insurance subsector especially the retail end of the market and drive insurance penetration.

    The guideline, which comes to effect on January 1, 2018, establishes uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for conduct of microinsurance business.

    The guideline was made available to reporters by the Commission’s Head, Corporate Affairs, Rasaaq Salami in Lagos.

    The high points from the revised guideline are from Section 2, 3 and 4 as against the previous guidelines released in 2013 when business as established in the country.

    “Section 2 explains the  Microinsurance Market Structure and states the classification of microinsurance underwriters as Unit Microinsurer, State Microinsurer and National Microinsurer.

    “Section 3 explains Registration Requirements states the minimum capital requirement for Unit Microinsurer as N40 million; State Microinsurer as N100 million and National Microinsurer as N600 million.

    “Section 4 explains Prudential Standards and states that any microinsurer intending to commence microinsurance business shall have a minimum capital as stipulated in Section 3 or as may be issued by the Commission from time to time.”

    The guidelines also showed that: “On statutory deposit, a microinsurer shall maintain with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) a statutory deposit of 10 per cent of the minimum capital requirement.

    “As regards liquidity status, a Unit Microinsurer shall, in respect of its insurance business in Nigeria, maintain at all times a 50 per cent Liquidity Margin being the excess of the value of its admissible current assets in Nigeria over its current liabilities in Nigeria.

    “A State Microinsurer shall, in respect of its insurance business in Nigeria, maintain at all times a 35% Liquidity Margin being the excess of the value of its admissible current assets in Nigeria over its current liabilities in Nigeria, while a National Microinsurer shall, in respect of its insurance business in Nigeria, maintain at all times a 25 per cent liquidity margin being the excess of the value of its admissible current assets in Nigeria over its current liabilities in Nigeria”, it read.

    In a statement also made available by Salami, the Commission stated that: “As part of the commission’s determination to improve financial inclusion in Nigeria, particularly to the underserved and excluded segment of the populace, the commission has reviewed the Microinsurance Guidelines of 2013, and hereby releases a revised guidelines.

    “The Revised Microinsurance Guidelines will become effective from January 1, 2018. The guideline is part of the financial inclusion strategy to stimulate growth in the sector especially the retail end of the market, drive insurance penetration and service the lower income earners who hitherto have been excluded from insurance”.

  • 2018: Issues for judicial determination

    2018: Issues for judicial determination

    Some issues were unresolved by the judiciary last year. Will they be resolved this year? ROBERT EGBE asks

    Religious garment and the right to legal practice

     

    The place of a mandatory religious attire such as a scarf or hijab in law practice

    Should a law school graduate, who has fulfilled all the requirements necessary to becoming a lawyer be prevented from participating in the call to bar ceremony merely because she refused to contravene her faith by exposing her hair?

    The Council of Legal Education has made its position clear. Last December 13, it barred a University of Ilorin Law graduate, Firdaus Amasa, entry to the International Conference Centre, Abuja, venue of the Call to Bar because of her refusal to take off her hijab.

    On December 21, another Muslim Law graduate, Aisha Zubair, said she was victimised and forced to remove her hijab by officials of the Council of Legal Education and the Law School immediately after the same call-to-bar exercise.

    According to a report by Premium Times, Zubair had already received her call-to-bar certificate when the alleged incident occurred.

    “When I got to my seat, a law school lecturer was waiting there and she started shouting at me and hurling insults at me for daring to wear the hijab in the hall, saying I wanted to disgrace them. She demanded I remove the hijab and throw it on the floor, which I did. Then she started to rub the hijab on the floor. She kicked it around several times before asking a guard to guard the hijab and not allow me retrieve it. Then she came back with another lecturer to seize the certificate I had just collected from me. I begged but they didn’t listen. After the ceremony, I went to them and after so much pleas, I was given back the certificate with a stern warning,” she said.

    There was no suggestion that the alleged action of the officials was authorised or approved by the Council of Legal Education or the Nigerian Law School. The Council’s strict position on dress code for aspiring lawyer, which is in line with its practice from inception, has drawn divergent reactions from many lawyers, rights groups and the House of Representatives.

    It is certain to generate more reactions before or during the next call-to-bar ceremony later this year.

    Several lawyers reasoned, among others, that Amasa deliberately breached the rules on dress code for the ceremony, but others disagreed, saying there was no such rule.

    The incident drew the attention of Muslim rights groups, which described the action as unconstitutional and a violation of her fundamental human rights.

    The groups include Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN); Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN); Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN); Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN); Muslim Consultative Forum (MCF) and Muslim Ummah of Southwest of Nigeria (MUSWEN).

    MMPN National President Abdur-Rahman Balogun  said: “We have taken our time to study, listen and hear all shades of opinion on this matter and we are of the opinion that despite Firdaus’compromise of adorning a harmless and simple Hijab, her refusal to be called to the Bar is an infringement on her fundamental human right.

    “One is not sure of what is the Nigerian Law School and the Council of Legal Education are afraid of. The world is moving away from that rigid thinking and leaving Nigeria behind as wig on hijab are allowed in countries, such as United States, United Kingdom and Kenya to mention just a few.”

     

    Justice delivery and court officials

     

    How can the culture of lawyers having to part with money before they can get service from court workers be eradicated?

    Many lawyers say they have lost clients or had to turn down briefs relating to bail because of the problem of inducing court workers.

    Last December 22, a lawyer from Badagry, Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) tried to perfect the bail of his client at a magistrate’s court. The bail conditions were stiff: N5 million with two sureties in the like sum, one of whom must be a bank manager. Each surety was required to deposit N1million in the chief registrar’s account and both were asked to surrender their international passports to the court. A court official advised him that the going rate in that courtroom to secure his client’s release “without necessarily complying with the bail conditions” was N450,000, which would be shared between the magistrate and the registrar. It came down to ‘last price’ of N300,000 after negotiations. But after pretending that his client could only afford N200,000, the talks broke down and his client remained in detention. Following advice from other lawyers, he petitioned the state’s Chief Judge, who is now investigating the matter.

    The experience of the lawyer appears to be the norm. Two Facebook posts on December 28, 2017 and January 4 this year, by lawyers involved in the matter garnered 94 comments from over 50 lawyers from different NBA branches, mostly lamenting their difficult experiences while trying to get service from court workers without providing financial incentives.

    Convener of Fight Against Corruption in the Judiciary (FIACIJ), Bayo Akinlade, noted that he has been “laughed at, mocked and ridiculed by unprofessional and less educated court officials, who will boldly tell me that I can’t get a service in court without parting with some money”.

    “I still recall my first experience. It was sometime in 2010. The first case I handled after relocating to Nigeria. I was briefed by a family member to get me going. I was in the Sheriff’s Department, Ikeja High Court where a sheriff of court treated me like crap. I had gone to inquire about serving my process and he showed me my process and told me bluntly that I must pay him before he goes to serve the process and I must pay him before I collect the proof of service. Nothing I said moved him. I tried to see the person in charge, but I was given the run around,”he said.

    Akinlade, however, noted that Chief Judges and other judicial officers are now warning both lawyers and judiciary staff against encouraging such practice.

    Last May 31, a Judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, cautioned lawyers against giving court bailiffs money to serve court processes on parties.

    The judge said it amounted to bribery and condemned the practice where bailiffs have to be tipped or mobilised before they agree to deliver processes to parties.

    Justice Olatoregun gave the warning following complaints by a counsel, who appeared before her in a suit and complained that the defendants were yet to be served even though he mobilised the bailiffs.

    The judge asked: “Did you say you mobilised them? How much did you give them? Let me know if it was enough.”

    The counsel said he gave the bailiffs N8,000.

    The judge then threatened to order the lawyer’s arrest for offering a bribe. She also sent for the court’s registrar and bailiff.

    “When you give a bribe, both of you are liable. We’ll get the Chief Registrar. You will be handed over to the police for bribing a bailiff. You will explain how you have been bribing bailiffs. That is how you will be collecting money from Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) when you become a judge,” she said.

     

    Lawyers as Supreme Court justices

     

    Is this the year lawyers will be appointed directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court?

    On January 30, 2017, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen asked the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to nominate lawyers for appointment as justices of the Supreme Court.

    The NBA recommended nine senior lawyers, including former NBA President Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); former Abia State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Prof Awa Kalu (SAN); Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN); Yunus Usman (SAN) and Babatunde Fagbohunlu (SAN). The shortlisting was said to have been done by a committee chaired by NBA President Abubakar Mahmoud.

    Strange as this may seem, the practice is not without precedent in the Nigerian judicial system. Under the military a couple of appointments to the Supreme Court were made directly from the bench, the first being Justice Teslim Elias, an academic, who was appointed CJN by Gen. Yakubu Gowon in 1972, having been Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at various times since 1960.

    Another lawyer so appointed was Justice Augustine Nnamani (SAN), who was nominated by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo to the Supreme Court in 1979 from his position as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. He was at the Supreme Court for 11 years.

    One of the reasons for Justice Onnoghen’s decision was that the Supreme Court can have a full complement of 21 Justices. This will enable three of its courts to sit separately every day, a measure that will reduce drastically the backlog of cases pending before it. Presently, there are 17 justices of the court.

    However, nothing has been heard on the matter since then.

     

    How will the special anti-corruption courts fare?

     

    In September 2017 the CJN directed heads of various courts to designate some courts as corruption courts. This move was applauded by several prominent lawyers including Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), who is the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), and Mr. Femi Falana (SAN). They saw it as part of the CJN’s reforms aimed at tackling the delay and other ills associated with the trial of high-profile personalities.

    But not much else has been heard about  it since.The special anti-corruption courts are particularly important because several corruption cases have dragged for many years. For instance, corruption trials involving several former governors have lingered for 10 years.

    Former Chairman of the Calabar branch of the NBA, Mba Ukweni SAN, urged the CJN not to relent in his drive to aid the anti-corruption war this year. He encouraged him to consolidate on the gains already made.

    Ukweni said: “He has taken proactive steps on the issue of ensuring that we have an impeccable judiciary. He is following in the footsteps of his predecessor in ensuring that there is little or no corruption. He is taking complaints about judges and justices very seriously.

    “Just last December, the National Judicial Commission disciplinary committee sanctioned some judges. So, I feel that the judiciary must continue in that light in 2018. The CJN should be fair and firm. If we have a corrupt judiciary, public confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man will be eroded. So, he has started well on that platform and we also see that this year he should consolidate on the gains of 2017, such as ensuring that we have a reasonable number of judges to dispense justice quickly, appointing judges when the need arises. Of course, there should be proper screening in the appointment of judges, because without this there cannot be a proper judicial system.”

     

     

  • UN chief issues 2018 ‘red alert’ to the world

    UN chief issues 2018 ‘red alert’ to the world

    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued “a red alert for the world” in the New Year.

    In his New Year message, Guterres expressed regret that in 2017, the world went in reverse to the appeal for peace.

    He said when he assumed office one year ago, he appealed for 2017 to be a year for peace.

    Guterres said: “On New Year’s Day 2018, I am not issuing an appeal. I am issuing an alert – a red alert for our world.

    “Conflicts have deepened and new dangers have emerged. Global anxieties about nuclear weapons are the highest since the Cold War.

    “Climate change is moving faster than we are. Inequalities are growing.

    “We see horrific violations of human rights. Nationalism and xenophobia are on the rise”.

    As the world begins 2018, the UN chief called for global unity.

    Guterres added that he truly believed we could make our world more safe and secure.

    “We can settle conflicts, overcome hatred and defend shared values. But we can only do that together,” he said.

    The UN chief urged leaders everywhere to make this New Year’s resolution: “Narrow the gaps. Bridge the divides. Rebuild trust by bringing people together around common goals.”

    Guterres, who assumed office on Jan. 1, 2017, stressed that in 2018, “unity is the path” adding, “our future depends on it.

    “I wish you peace and health in 2018. Thank you. Shokran. Xie Xie. Merci. Spasiba. Gracias. Obrigado,” the ninth UN chief said

  • Issues that will shape politics in 2018

    Issues that will shape politics in 2018

    Last year, the agitation for restructuring and the threat of secession dominated public discourse.  Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the issues and events that will shape Nigeria’s politics this year. 

    The political events of last year will linger in the memories of Nigerians. It was a year that economic recession, the agitation for restructuring and President Muhammadu Buhari’s health took the centre stage in public debate. Against the background of the secessionist move by some elements in the Southeast, many had thought that the country will disintegrate. But, the country has remained intact. Despite the economic recession caused by the fall in oil price in the international market and the mismanagement of the oil wind fall in the past, Nigeria was able to get out from the quagmire.

    Given the number of events lined up, this year promises to be full of political activities. Being the year that precedes the 2019 general elections, full electioneering campaigns will start and they may overshadow governance. Some of the events are: Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention, conclusion of the constitution amendment bid, restructuring, post-convention litigation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), federal cabinet reshuffle, presidential primaries, budget passage, new parties,  Anambra Central senatorial election,  the anti-corruption fight, anti terrorist battle and Saraki’s Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) re-trial.

     

    Governorship elections

    The governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states will hold this year. Already, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed July 14 for the  election in Ekiti State. The Ekiti people will elect a new governor to replace Mr Ayo Fayose, whose tenure will expire in October.

    The election will be a straight fight between the ruling PDP and the APC. In 2014, Fayose defeated Governor Kayode Fayemi of the APC.  He won in all the local governments.

    The 2018 poll will provide Fayose the opportunity to prove that his landslide victory of 2014 was not a fluke; that his popularity among the people won the election for him.  Can Fayose who rode to power on the crest of federal might under former President Goodluck Jonathan win the election for his anointed candidate? Can he count on the support of the civil servants, especially the teachers that are owed arrears of salaries?

    INEC has fixed April 5 for the commencement of the Ekiti governorship election campaign. Fayose believes his performance, especially the provision of infrastructural facilities like roads and bridges across the state and stomach infrastructure, would endear the PDP to Ekiti people and that they will not hesitate to return the party back to power. Contrary to the time table released by INEC, which stipulates that primaries for  the election will hold between April 15 and May 14, Fayose had anointed his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the PDP candidate; a decision that has been challenged by other PDP leaders, including Senator Abiodun Olujimi and Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who are also eyeing the PDP ticket. However, the PDP national secretariat has overruled Fayose’s choice, saying the party’s governorship candidate will emerge from the primary.

    But, a stalwart of the APC, Chief Babatunde Fagbemi, has ruled out PDP’s victory in the poll. He said it is wishful thinking for Fayose and the PDP to expect victory in the July  election.  He said Fayose is a dictator who he does not believe in the separation of powers as he combines the functions of the legislature with that of the executive. Fagbemi added: “The people of Ekiti have not forgotten how the PDP controlled Federal Government in 2014 deployed huge sum of money and military personnel to rig election for Fayose. If Fayose and his co-travellers in the PDP are planning of another short cut to victory this time around, they will meet their waterloo at the poll.

    “Fayose’s tenure in Ekiti is a monumental disaster; the PDP administration in the state personified by Fayose is the worst thing that has happened to Ekiti State. How many developmental projects did he execute? It has been contract inflation and shoddy jobs paid for by government. The state internally generated revenue (IGR) had dropped drastically from what Fayose inherited from Fayemi. All this will work against PDP in Ekiti State.

    Analysts believe that the APC stands a better chance of winning, only if it is able to manage its primary in a transparent manner, given the number of aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket. Besides, they advise the party to handle post-primary complaints with care such that there would be no last minute defection by aggrieved aspirants.

    On September 22, the people of Osun State will go to poll to elect a new governor that will succeed Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who is about to complete his second term in office. Analysts said Osun would have been a walk-over for the APC but for the problems it had in the selection of the senatorial candidate for Osun West. A public affairs commentator, Comrade Jimi Afolabi, said the failure of APC leaders to pander to the yearnings of the people by presenting a popular candidate robbed it of the senatorial seat.

    Afolabi cautioned the leadership of the party to learn a lesson from the Osun West mistake. He said: “Now that many aspirants have sprung off from the APC, Aregbesola should create a level-playing field for them to test their popularity. Fielding a preferred candidate will be too costly for the party. There is no doubt that Aregbesola’s performance has made APC the party to beat in the state, but a popular candidate should emerge through due process.”

     

    APC convention

    The APC has failed to hold its biennial convention as stipulated in its constitution. The last time it held convention was in 2015 from where President Muhammadu Buhari emerged as APC presidential candidate for the last general elections. Party chieftains have advanced different reasons for this. Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State said that the party was broke. The party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, attributed it to the absence of President Buhari, who spent three months in the United Kingdom for medical treatment. The President returned four months ago and his health has improved tremendously. There is no excuse for the APC not to hold its convention this year. As a ruling party, the APC should comply with the provision of its constitution.

     

    Constitution amendment

    The stage is set for the Houses of Assembly to exercise their powers on constitution amendment. The National Assembly have transmitted the adopted proposals to the various Houses of Assembly for consideration and concurrence. Any proposal that meets the approval of at least 24 Houses of Assembly will be processed and transmitted to the President for assent.

    It is hoped that the constitution amendment will be on the priority list of Houses of Assembly, because there are many proposals which are critical to restructuring and reforms and the strengthening of critical institutions of democracy to promote efficacy, transparency, accountability, and checks and balances.  The proposed amendments that are related to the powers and functions of the INEC, especially the proposal that empowers the electoral commission to de-register any political party that fails to meet some criteria, including failure to win at least one elected seat from councillorship to presidential after a general election and the issue independent candidates for election, must be decided this year, because the general elections have been fixed for February and March next year.

     

    Restructuring

    Agitations for restructuring have remained on the front burner of the national conversation, amid cries of marginalisation by some ethnic groups. The controversy often pitches the South against the North, with southerners seeing the current structure as highly problematic and therefore, unworkable. The deadlock has been blamed for the secessionist campaign by the Igbo dominated Southeast.

    Restructuring means different things to different geo-political zones. To the Southsouth region, restructuring is all about resource control. To the Southwest, restructuring is synonymous with regionalism, devolution of power and true federalism. The Igbos believe that restructuring will guarantee their age-long secession bid.

    Analysts are of the opinion that there is tension and agitation in the country, because it is not operating true federalism. They say federalism is an arrangement whereby powers within a multi-national country are shared between a federal or central authority and a number of regional or state governments in such a way that each unit, including the central authority, exists as a government separately and independently from the others.

    One of such analysts said: “In a federation, each government enjoys autonomy, a separate existence and independence of the control of any other government. Each government exists, not as an appendage of another government, but as an autonomous entity in the sense of being able to exercise its own will on the conduct of its affairs free from direction by any government.”

    Going by the above definition, it is crystal clear that Nigeria is not a federation, but unitary state. A heterogeneous society like Nigeria should not and cannot be administered in a highly over centralised unitary manner. The local people must have a degree of control and autonomy over the basic things that affect their lives. There is need to decentralise economic, security, political and otherwise federal powers to the various localities of Nigeria.

    Now that President Buhari has passed the buck to the National Assembly to form the modalities for the restructuring debate, but rejected any break-up of the country, it is expected that the National Assembly will come up with a template on restructuring in the course of the year.

    But, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Michael Adeyemo, blamed members of the National Assembly for voting against devolution of power bill during the constitution amendment exercise. He argued that true federalism would not be achieved in Nigeria without the devolution of power. He said: “Power must devolve. We should decentralise if all agitations must stop.”

    Similarly, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmed, said the decision of the federal legislators on devolution of power was surprising. He said when the Association of Speakers met with members of the National Assembly Committee on Constitution Amendment in Lagos, they struck an agreement that some powers must be ceded to the states. But, unfortunately, during voting, they did otherwise. He said: “Although majority of them voted in favour, their number was not up to two-thirds required to pass the bill. It is not the end of the day, as we at the state level will re-strategise on how to build consensus and mobilise support for devolution of power”.

     

    Presidential primaries

    INEC has fixed the presidential election for February 19, 2019. Presidential primaries are likely to be held during the last six months of the year. Parties planning to field candidates for next year’s presidential election must organise primaries that would be monitored by INEC officials. The registered parties must conduct primaries from which their presidential candidates would emerge, at least three months before the election.

    In the APC, the President is yet to make a formal declaration that he will seek re-election. But, the APC governors under the aegis of “progressive governors” have endorsed him for a second term. But, party stalwarts, including Senator Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande, have said there is no automatic ticket for Buhari.

    Tinubu explained that Buhari  will not accept automatic ticket, but will subject himself to the due process. He said Buhari is a democrat and would prefer to emerge through democratic process. The APC, he said, would not imbibe the culture of imposition. All aspirants would go through normal process that will be open and transparent; there will be level playing field for all aspirants just as it was done in 2015.

    The PDP is still battling to restore order within its fold after the national convention. The parties has set up a committee to brainstorm on the choice of its presidential candidate. The question is whether the PDP will just present a candidate without primary, as it did in 2015 when it printed only one form for former President Jonathan. Observers said the imposition of Dr. Jonathan contributed to the party’s defeat in 2015, because aggrieved members, particularly from the North worked against the party.

    As for the smaller parties, they hardly, conduct primaries. Members would just converge on an event place and raise up the hand of a member as party’s flag bearer. Nigerians are not keen on the process through which their presidential candidates emerge because they play inconsequential role in politics and stand no chance of winning election. A political analyst, Dr Friday Ibok, said INEC should monitor the smaller parties especially the convention through which they pick their candidates. The electoral commission, he said, should put all political parties on the same scale to avoid double standard.

     

    PDP convention

    It seems the last has not been heard about the PDP convention. A former chairmanship aspirant, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, has filed a suit before a Federal High Court, Abuja seeking for the sack of the winner, Prince Uche Secondus, and the nullification of the convention.

    Adedoja, who scored zero, said he was not contesting the result of the convention, but the error in his name on the ballot paper. He stated that the declaration of a zero credited to him embarrassed and maligned him and brought great ridicule to his political career built over the years.

    Political observers are worried about the suit coming after the leadership of the party has set up a committee headed by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State to reconcile aggrieved party members. One of them interpreted the court action as failure of the reconciliation mechanism or that the litigation is a ploy to distract the new executive from planning for the 2019 general elections.

    However, it is hoped that the court will give the suit accelerated hearing because it may drag on to the Supreme Court.

     

    Budget passage

    While presenting the 2018 budget to the joint sitting of the National Assembly, President Buhari pleaded with the lawmakers to ensure early passage, so that the implementation would start from January. From all indications, the National Assembly may not meet this deadline as various committees are still busy scrutinising the budget.

    An economist, Dr Isiah Danbaba,  pleaded with members of the National Assembly not to waste time on the passage of the budget. He said the late passage of the Appropriation Bill have tremendous effects on the economy. He said the 2017 budget, which was passed in  July, was responsible for its slow implementation and cash crunch in the economic system. Government could neither release funds for the existing projects nor award new contracts.

    Danbaba urged the lawmakers to always put the interest of the people they represent above personal gains. He said it is the common people that feel the heat most when the budget is not given prompt attention.

     

    Cabinet reshuffle

    President Buhari has announced plans to expand the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by appointing more ministers. He disclosed this in his address to the National Executive Council of the APC when he explained that the compressed FEC will be expanded to bring in more supporters at federal level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.

    A reliable source said President Buhari is considering a tentative proposal to restructure some of the ministries, appoint eight new ministers to his cabinet and reshuffle the cabinet in the New Year. He said: “The plan is to appoint eight new ministers who will all be politicians, to accommodate the yearnings of his party members and at the same time position APC for the 2019 general elections.

    “To accommodate the eight new ministers into the cabinet, the president plans to split the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing into three ministries that will be manned by substantive ministers, and separate the aviation and marine transport units from the Ministry of Aviation. What this will translate to is that a minister will man Aviation while another will head Marine Transportation.

    “In the proposal being considered by the president for the appointment of eight new ministers, one will represent each of the six geo-political zones in the country one each from Lagos and Kano States. The preferential treatment for Lagos and Kano is to ensure the two most populous states are delivered to APC in 2019.”

     

    New political parties

    With the registration of 21 new parties by the INEC, the number of registered parties is 67. Despite the number, 80 new associations had applied to the commission seeking to be registered as political parties ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu said the commission would continue to register new political parties, pending the deadline stipulated in the Electoral Act for closure of the registration process.

    He said: “As it stands today, 80 more groups are seeking registration as political parties. We will continue to register them until the time scheduled by the Electoral Act for us to stop. The issue of independence candidacy is there too. Right now, we are thinking of how to design our ballot papers for the 2019 polls to accommodate all the registered political parties.”

     

    Anambra Central rerun

    Following the Court of Appeal judgment, INEC has fixed January 13 for the Anambra Central senatorial district re-run. The seat became vacant, following the nullification of the 2015 election is by an election tribunal.

    The Court of Appeal had ordered INEC to conduct the re-run within 90 days of the judgment.. As the commission was preparing for the election, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the commission to issue certificate of return to the PDP candidate, Obiora Okonkwo, who the court declared as the authentic candidate of the party for Anambra Central District.

    Okonkwo had instituted a court action against the PDP, its former National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, INEC and Mrs Uche Ekwunife, challenging the emergence of Ekwunife as the PDP candidate for the 2015 election. The commission said it is studying the judgement and promised to make its position known very soon.

     

    Anti-corruption fight

    President Buhari has assured Nigerians that he would not disappoint them in the fight against corruption; that the anti-graft agencies would be given adequate support in waging war against corruption and prosecuting the suspects. The anti-graft war had ushered in a new era of accountability and responsibility. This policy has paid off. Corrupt practices in high places that have been exposed by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the looted public funds recovered by the agency.

    The trial of high profile corruption cases will resume this year. This includes the trial of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, and former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Baffarawa, former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, former Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba Kusa, over the misappropriation of $2.1 billion meant for the procurement of arms for the troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents.

    Others before the court are former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke, former Senate President, Senator David Mark, former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim Pius.

    All eyes are on the judiciary in ensuring quick dispensation of justice. It is expected that the cases will not suffer similar fate like those before them. Cases involving big men have always dragged for long as a result of frequent adjournments and frivolous injunctions to frustrate speedy trials. Also, cases struck out on technical grounds. The Chief Justice of the Federation should make good his promise to set up special courts to handle corruption cases when he expressed the judiciary support for the fight against corruption of President Buhari.

     

    Fight against terrorism

    President Buhari’s commitment to the anti-terror war is not in doubt. He has taken the campaign against terrorism beyond the Nigerian shores. At a summit attended by world leaders in Jordan on counter-terrorism, Buhari told his colleagues that Nigeria is ready to lead the battle against terrorism in the West African sub-region.

    He reiterated the commitment of Nigeria playing a leading role in bringing together countries of the West African sub-region in a collective security arrarngement. He said with what Nigeria had gone through, it was ready to share the experience with a view to fashioning out comprehensive action plans in tackling the sourge of violent extremism in the region.

    The President lamented that insurgents were able to attract members in their fold because of the insidious preaching of extremist clerics and called for an action plan to halt the trend. He added that all nations irrespective of religion should partner effectively in implementing national, regional and global action plans to counter violent extremism.

    At the end of the summit, participants resolved to come up with concrete action plans that would change the narrative of violent extremism in the West African sub-region at a follow up meeting to be hosted by Nigeria.

    The Nigerian Governors Forum has approved the withdrawal of one billion dollars from the Excess Crude Account by the Federal Government to be used in the on-ging fight against Boko Haram insurgents.

    Although the government had proclaimed victory in the eight-year long battle against insurgency, the Federal Government said a substantial amount of budge was still required to tackle pockets of terrorists in the northeast. Besides, the government explained that the money is not intended for anti Boko Haram efforts alone but will also be spent on security issues in the state including policing in the state, community policing and all security challenges in the country.

     

    Saraki’s CCT re-trial

    The re-trial of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, will start this year. The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has sent Saraki back to the CCT to face charges of false declaration of asset. The Federal Government had appealed the acquittal of Saraki by the tribunal in early 2017.

    The CCT had dismissed the 18-count allegations of false and anticipatory declaration of asset by the Senate President. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that Saraki did not sufficiently answer three of the charges.

  • OGFZA raises key issues at global trade summit

    The ease of doing business and public-private partnership in investment promotion, were among the key isues raised by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), at this year’s Global Trade Development Week (GTDW), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE)

    OGFZA, at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) conference, also harped on compliance with laws and regulations, governing trade and investment  and lowering cost of doing business

    The oil and gas regulator,  placed a premium on these four concerns as must-address imperatives in its three-year roadmap for the development of the nation’s oil and gas free zones.

    The theme of the conference was, “Navigating Global Trade & Reviving Global Growth: Implementing TFA and enhancing capacity across the public and private sector.” TFA, for Trade Facilitation Agreement, a WTO trade protocol which came into force on 22 February 2017, seeks to lubricate trade among member nations of the WTO that have ratified it.

    Delegates to the conference,  including four management staff of OGFZA interfaced  with more than 80 international experts in trade facilitation, international trade finance, customs administration, compliance issues and training, and also with  other delegates from the Middle-East, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas.

    The Economy Minister of the UAE,  Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, said the theme of the conference was about ‘facilitating cross-border trading through simplification of procedures at borders and administration requirements, providing information and electronic procedures which help save time, reduce costs and improve customs and logistics standards.”

  • Issues PMB must pay attention

    Issues PMB must pay attention

    Sir: Even amongst the supporters of the Buhari-led APC federal government, reactions to the style of governance of the President continue to be mixed.  There is need to call the APC government to order, if it must retain its supporters.

    The South-east has been known to be peaceful despite the agitatations of the IPOB. The pockets of crimes  used  to justify the presence of the military in the south-east is not peculiar to the region. Moreover, they are issues that the Nigerian Police Force can deal with. The president must note that it is not every south-easterner that is in support of the self determination championed by Nnamdi Kanu and his group. The best response would have been to dialogue with the leaders of the zone and follow due process laid out in the constitution to handle the agitation of Nnamdi Kanu.

    On the call for restructuring, it is borne out of some  perceived injustices and inequality.  It is unwise for such calls not to be given due consideration. Attending to the call for restructuring will put an end to the incessant problems between the various regions and ethnic groups across the country and against the federal government.  The Buhari-led administration would have laid a solid foundation if it set the table for discussion on restructuring or rather implement the 2015 confab report.

    The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan has been largely applauded; however, the level of project implementation across the country is very low. This can be traced to the late passage of the budget.  Federal government projects are concentrated in some parts of the country more than others. A trip to the South-east shows that it is almost impossible to pass through the roads from Lokoja to the East.

    The EFCC led by Ibrahim Magu has succeeded in the recovery of looted funds from the past administration; however not much is heard about any current serving APC Public officials caught in the web of corruption. This leaves a question; is the EFCC fight on corruption only limited to the past administration? Why are there are no investigations and strides recorded around current serving officers in government? Coupled with this fact is that, there is little or no transparency and accountability in the use of the recovered funds.

    President Muhammadu Buhari should consider withdrawing troops of Operation Python Dance from the South-east. He should immediately set the stage for the national discussion on restructuring otherwise start the process for the implementation of the 2015 confab report. No part of the country should be neglected in the award of viable projects. The anti-corruption fight will only be complete when details of funds recovered and their use is published continuously.

    Nigerians pray that the President succeed in the delivery of the change mantra as promised during the 2015 campaigns and we hope that positive steps will be taken to restore the confidence of Nigerians which was built around the person of President Buhari.

     

    • Victor Emejuiwe,

    Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.

  • ‘How to resolve ethical issues in assisted fertility’

    Experts in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) have met at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos to discuss ethics in IVF – in vitro fertilisation. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA, who was there, reports .

    The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs’ (NIIA) hall in Victoria Island was  filled when who-is- who in fertility and reproductive health in the country gathered to chart the way forward on germane issues in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

    Pro-lifers, religious leaders, pluralists and shapers of thoughts were at the event.

    It was a public forum on Ethics in IVF-in-vitro fertilisation organised by the Ethics Committee of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH).

    The objective was to gauge stakeholders and public groups opinion on ethics in ART practice with focus on IVF.

    Some of the questions discussed were: Is IVF – in-vitro fertilisation ethical? Is intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection ethical? Is gamete donation ethical? is the use of donour gametes without the spouse/partner’s consent ethical? Is surrogacy ethical?; Is treatment of couples infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ethical? Is pre-implantation genetic Diagnosis (PGD), use in treatment of the purposes of sex selection or other ethical?; is treatment of single women and unmarried couples ethical? and is the use of gametes and embryos in research ethical? among others.

    The experts resolved that many of the ethical issues in fertility treatment concern one’s views on when life begins. The Catholic Church, for example, believes that life begins at the moment of conception, and only permits the fertilisation of eggs that will be used, insisting on the implantation of all viable embryos.

    AFRH President, Dr Faye Iketubosin, said: “As an association, we are here to advise, we are trying to set a code of ethics for practitioners which includes people having the right qualifications, facilities and knowledge to engage in ART practices. The ethical issues raised at the discussion generated a lot of controversy from religious group, sociologists and the general public at large. The discussion is borne out of the need to speak to the public and get their opinion on certain practices of ART that might be controversial particularly when they are in conflict with our culture and religious beliefs.”

    Iketubosin said: “We are sensitive to ensuring that we carry out our practice in an ethical way. The resolution reached at the forum will be deliberated upon and  an acceptable ethical standard for the practice of ART in Nigeria would be formulated.”

    He said there are numerous factors responsible for the increase in infertility. He said the average sperm count in men has dropped from 20 million to 15 million and that is because of a global trend. The reason, according to him, was because of the disruptions of food chain.

    “We now eat a lot of processed foods, foods that are chemically processed that are now affecting us in negative ways including infertility,” he asid.

    On why more women are becoming infertile, Iketubosin said more and more women have embarked on successful careers, they have delayed having children and a woman has a final lifespan within which she can achieve a pregnancy naturally, “by the time they begin that quest for child, they are actually already too old and that is why the issue of egg donation is borne out of the fact that we have seen a lot of older women, over the age of 38 who are now trying to have a child for the first time,” explained.

    On the way out, Iketubosin said is for Nigeria to go back to organic farming/products which  are less expensive than the processed food, “importation of contaminated or processed products can be achieved with government policies which will monitor what comes into the country,” said Dr Iketubosin.

    A Consultant/Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and CEO of OMNI Medical Centre, Lagos, Prof Osato Giwa-Osagie, said the role of psychological factors in IVF is complex.

    “Psychological issues intertwine with physical ones, often with additive effects. There is no clear evidence that IVF babies are more at risk from abnormalities, or that women undertaking IVF are at higher risk of certain cancers.

    “IVF is simply fertilising an egg outside  the womb, then re-implanting the embryo. It is not a ‘treatment’ of infertility since it doesn’t treat the underlying problem. The cause of the problem should be investigated thoroughly before IVF is considered.”

    He recalled his many experience with couples, and many litigations, which “outcomes would have naturally set the laws and proper ethics of the practice of ART, especially IVF, surrogacy and other ethical issues in the country but for the demise of the litigants. But it is never too late to get it right,” said Prof Giwa-Osagie.

    He clarified a grey area, “There is no clear evidence that babies from IVF are more at risk from abnormalities than those born through natural conception. Indeed, it seems that certain types of abnormality, such as chromosome problems, are less common with IVF. However, IVF babies tend to have more problems at birth, and stillbirths may be slightly more common. This may not be due to IVF,  it is probably because women who conceive through IVF are more likely to be at high-risk in pregnancy,” he stated.

    Speaking for Muslim faithful, Dr Ahmed Sa’eid of the Department of Surgery, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), said about 90 percent of Nigerians are either Christians or Muslims, so one cannot make a law that would disregard their beliefs.

    “We are hopeful that when policies or laws on IVF and ART are developed, it will also take care of the concerns that our culture is very important to the people who are citizens of this country.

    “The fact that ART/IVF is happening in many other parts of the world does not mean that everything that is happening in there, must be imported wholesale into Nigeria. We need to domesticate it to our people. These are the concerns of religious bodies,” said Dr Sa’eid.

    He added that child-bearing brings joy. “I want to feel the joy of childbearing doesn’t mean that I must have to get that at all cost. I don’t have to become a pagan simply because I am looking for a child, because if I truly believe in the God that I worship, part of the faith will also teach me patience, perseverance and to have trust in that God,” he said.

    Other religious leaders agreed that they would dedicate babies achieved through ART/IVF because, “all good gifts come from God. And nobody should be denied of being a parent, more so that the art and science are available’’.

    ‘’IVF treatment can be very stressful. However, often, infertile couples feel that by undergoing IVF they are doing something positive to resolve their problem. For so many it is undoubtedly better to have gone through IVF and failed, than not to have attempted it all,” they added.

  • Marital issues affected me at Leicester — Musa

    Marital issues affected me at Leicester — Musa

    • Fenerbahce targets Eagles star

    Super Eagles and Leicester City forward Ahmed Musa says he is looking forward to a better season in England than the one he had last season after marrying his new wife Juliet Adeh last month.

    Musa struggled for form and consistency following his big money move from CSKA Moscow to the former Premier League Champions, and at a point failed to make the matchday squad in some of their games.

    The 24 year old puts it’s down to issues in his marriage, and after divorcing his wife of four years and mother of his two kids Jamila, Musa told Complete Sports that he is once again happy following his marriage to Juliet.

    “Marriage is not new to me but I believe it was a right move to make when I did. The past remains in the past.

    I’m happy now and I think well and I can focus on my game which suffered a bit.” Musa said.

    Linked with a move away from the King Power stadium, the speedy winger who is also comfortable as a forward insist he has a future at the club, hence he is not willing to consider a move away.

    Nigerian Ahmed Musa and his Leicester City teammate Jamie Vardy have emerged as Fenerbahce’s primary transfer targets, according to DHA.

    Fenerbahce are looking to boost their attacking ranks, with Dutchman Robin van Persie set to leave the club in the European summer and West Africans strikers Emmanuel Emenike and Moussa Sow also expected to depart.

    DHA claims that the Turkish club will make an offer for the Foxes pair soon and hope that the promise of European is enough to attract them to Istanbul.

    Musa, 24, signed for Leicester last season but struggled to make a major impact at the King Power Stadium. The Nigerian scored four goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.

  • $17bn stolen crude: Issues before House committee’s probe panel

    $17bn stolen crude: Issues before House committee’s probe panel

    It smacks on the impossible: The House of Representatives has set up an ad hoc committee to probe revenue losses in crude oil and gas sales. The House even gave a time span: 2011 to 2014. And who is saddled with this seemingly herculean task? It’s Abdulrasak Namdas, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs. He is the one chairing the Ad Hoc committee meant to unravel what only men with links to the fourth dimension can probably accomplish. And without wasting much time, the lawmaker swung into action, inviting all concerned stakeholders. The media was always fully represented at the hearings, after all, by virtue of his position as the spokesman of the House, he is in their constituency. Now, the issue of who carted away what is being investigated, but the most important issue is not starting the journey but completing it. Many are wont to wager that strategic land mines will be strewn along the part of the committee with intent to derail, mislead, delay or totally destroy its mandate. It has happened before, and may likely happen again. It will be a surprise if the committee members had not considered that. Essentially, the purpose of the investigation is to unearth who benefitted from undeclared crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports from 2011-2014 estimated at $17 billion. There had been tales of collusion by government agencies and many had posited that it would take patience, perseverance, long-suffering, prayers and possibly fasting, all rolled into one, to come up with anything meaningful from the whole exercise. Already, Namdas is screaming himself hoarse that government agencies are scuttling the $17bn stolen crude/gas exports probe. Are Nigerians listening? At the last session of the committee, those invited that did not appear included the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Ports Authority. Others were the National Petroleum Investment Management Services NAPIMS, Accountant General of the Federation, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Recall that this is not the first time such probe is being done. Let’s rewind to 11th of December, 2013 in Conference Room 028. Seated before reporters was the Chairman of the ad hoc Committee probing Oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta; his name is Hon. Bashir Adamu. The mandate of his committee at that time included ” to determine how deep pipelines are buried and if they are accessible to oil thieves; determine how stolen crude oil is transported; identify the owners of illegal vessels; ascertain the status of impounded vessels and recommend the confiscation of vessels used for illegal bunkering; determine the roles of various organization’s tackling illegal bunkering; determine the countries aiding and abetting the crude oil criminals” and finally, “recommend preventive measures and lasting solutions to the menace.”

    Bashir Adamu’s briefing began at 11: 18 am that day and lasted for exactly six minutes. And for the benefit of Hon. Namdas, I will like to reproduce a sizeable portion of that briefing:

    Adamu said: “illegal oil bunkering is a specialized and mechanized crime issue and several attempts have been made by the federal government to tackle the challenge to no avail. The level of oil theft is alarming and of great concern to stakeholders. The oil and gas industry account for about two- third of government revenue and more than 90 percent of export earnings in Nigeria. Illegal bunkering has caused Nigeria to lose an estimated $5 billion, about N780 billion annually amounting to about $400 billion since independence.

    “Statistics show that about 350,000 barrels per day was lost to illegal bunkering in 2012, representing an increase of about 20 percent over the figures of 2011 and 67 percent over that of 2010, while the trend of 2013 is even more alarming. Unless the government summons the will to fight the menace, the situation will further worsen the country’s economic woes.

    “The rising level of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalization, particularly in the Niger Delta region has reached high dimension. The ugly development has made the operators in the Nigerian oil and gas industry one of the most expensive in the world.

    “In April 2013, oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, shut down the 150,000 Nembe crude oil pipeline due to urgent need to clear away illegal connections.”

    The lawmaker said the ugly phenomenon of oil theft and its global support system has continued to be a clog in the wheels of the nation’s high economic growth trajectory. “Government should beam its searchlight on all security agencies in the country in a bid to fish out those who perpetuate this illicit trade,” Adamu said.

    The adhoc committee in the 7th House, according to Adamu intended to have a 5- day public hearing. It didn’t hold. “At the end of the hearing, the committee hopes to put in place a legislation that will ensure improved monitoring of onshore and offshore areas in order to discourage vandalism and oil theft in the nation and propose adequate prosecution of criminals,” the ad hoc committee chairman said. That also did not happen. Suffice to say that the six minutes briefing of 11th December, 2013 in Conference Room 028 was the only activity carried out by the committee known to House of Representatives Press Corps till this day.

    Back to the present: Recall that the resolution of the Green Chamber on the $17 billion probe was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Johnson Agbonayinma and titled “Urgent Need to Investigate over $17 billion Stolen from Undeclared Crude Oil and Liquefied Natural Gas Exports to Global Destinations.” The House thereafter set up an adhoc committee to investigate 20 companies, two law firms, two Federal Government agencies, and a technical consultant contracted by the Jonathan administration amongst other mandates.

    Agbonayinma said the establishments were identified by Molecular Power System Limited in a report on shipment of oil and gas exports from 2011-2014. He expressed the need for a thorough investigation adding that the report based on data from the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and figures from pre-shipment inspection reports from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicates undeclared crude oil export shortfalls translating to $12 billion, $3 billion and over $800 million to the US, China and Norway respectively. According to the lawmaker, the report showed a $461 million shortfall from a total of 727, 460 metric ton export of natural liquefied gas from Nigeria to seven countries.

    Well, everyone is waiting to see how this investigation goes down. Namdas has everyone’s goodwill and prayers, we hope that will suffice.

    Even the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, while speaking at the opening of the Namdas hearing said the $40.266 billion and N196.3 billion revenue loss in the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry over the past few years was worrisome. According to him, the Green Chamber will leave no stone unturned in its effort to tackle corruption in the oil and gas sector.

    Now that the 4- day investigative hearing is over, Nigerians are salivating to see the profound revelations that may be served in the Namdas committee’s report. For sure, this won’t be another exercise in futility.