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  • UPDATED: $9.6b verdict: Senate summons AGF Malami, others

    The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to brief it on the details of the $9.6billion judgement awarded against Nigeria and the details of the 2010 Gas contract to the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited.

    This followed a motion for a matter of urgent public importance moved by the Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District.

    Also to appear before relevant committees of the Senate on the matter include officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and professional arbitrators engaged on behalf of the Federal Government in that regard.

    In his lead debate, Senator Bamidele who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, noted that the motion was for the need to invite the Honorable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami and other relevant stakeholders to brief relevant committees of the Senate on the award of $9.6billion against the Federal Government of Nigeria, by a United Kingdom Court in the matter of P&ID – Process & Industrial Development Limited versus Federal Government of Nigeria.

    He called on the Senate to note with concern that “Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora have become apprehensive while several committees of the Senate have over the last few weeks received several petitions and other direct and circumstantial information on the ongoing legal imbroglio involving the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Kingdom firm known as Process and Industrial Development Limited, hereinafter referred to as P&ID.”

    He urged the Senate to be aware that in January 2010, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, acting on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria executed a Gas supply processing agreement with P&ID whereby Nigeria was to supply zero cost natural gas to P&ID through a pipeline to be constructed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to P&ID processing facility.

    He said that under the terms of the TSPA which had a tenor of 20 years, from the date of first supply of wet Gas, P&ID had an obligation to process the wet gas and deliver the derivative to the Federal Government free of charge for power generation while taking any other residual liquid itself at no cost.

    He said that based on the facts of the case, P&ID served a notice of arbitration on the Federal Government in 2012 on the ground that Nigeria repudiated its obligation under the terms of the TSPA by defaulting to make wet Gas available to it.

    He said that the Senate is also aware that a commercial court in the United Kingdom in the suit referred to has ruled that the Federal Government must pay the British firm – Process and Industrial Development Limited – a sum of $9.6billion or have its assets to the tune of that amount forfeited.

    He urged the Senate to be alarmed that the UK Court’s decision converted the subsequent arbitral award into a domestic judgement against the Federal Republic of Nigeria thereby creating a situation where Nigeria’s asset around the world, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States of America risk being taken over by P&ID or its agents.

    He lamented that the damages awarded to P&ID were “manifestly excessive, exorbitant, punitive and a big threat to the economic well-being and security of Nigeria.”

    He added: “The Senate is deeply concerned that the issues arising from the default aforesaid as well as the consequential arbitration, court proceedings and the ensuing award against Nigeria have thus far been concealed from the Senate and the entire National Assembly.”

    Read Also: Senate to inaugurate Standing Committees Wednesday

    He observed that the principal role of the National Assembly, is among others, “to undertake oversight of all government ministries, departments and agencies or amend subsisting laws of the Federation of Nigeria, for the proper functioning and good governance of the country which power is derived from the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.”

    Senator Opeyemi prayed the Senate to invite the “Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation and other relevant stakeholders, including officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and professional arbitrators engaged on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria in this regard to comprehensively brief the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), Gas Resources and Power on the details of the 2010 contract with P&ID as executed, reasons for the default as well as the handling of resultant negotiations, arbitration, court proceedings and steps being taken to resolve the matter in the overall best interest of the Nigerian economy and security of the nation’s assets at home and abroad.”

    However, citing order 53 (5) of the Senate Standing Rules, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege cautioned his colleagues to limit their contributions on the motion which is to invite AGF and other relevant government agencies to brief the Senate as the matter is presently awaiting judicial decision.

    The only prayer of the motion was unanimously approved when it was put to vote by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan.

    Lawan added that the judgement $9.6billion awarded against Nigeria is one reason the country needs to strengthen its diplomatic engagements with other countries.

  • DPR shuts down three illegal gas plants in A’Ibom

    The Eket Field Office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has shut down three illegal gas plants in Ikot Ekpene local government area of Akwa Ibom state.

    The Operations Controller of the Department, Mr Tamunoiminabo Kingskey- Sunday, who disclosed to journalists on Tuesday, said the shut down exercise took place last week..

    “Last week in the cause of our surveillance activities, we notice three illegal gas plants found within Ikot Ekpene axis.

    “These are gas plants that they just brought gas vessels and they planted them just to do business in spite of the dangers impose to people’s property, environment and danger to life,” he said.

    He said that those illegal gas plants lack and does not have standard facilities like engineering, safety, earth and environment.

    “Before the DPR will give you an approval or license, there are certain engineering and standard you must achieved.

    READ ALSO: DPR seals 12 filling stations in Sokoto, Kebbi

    “You just don’t come and run a facility, you must have an international standard and they are business that are governed with same code and same standard,” kingsley-Sundaye said.

    Kingsley- Sunday said that the department had written to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to enforce law and order to the illegal gas plants if operational.

    He explained that any illegal gas plants owners that does not comply with International Standard would be arrested and possibly prosecuted in the state.

    He advised gas plants owners to ensure that their plants meet up the minimum standard and guidelines of doing business in the state.

    The Operations Controller appealed to owners of gas plants to get details that gives impetus to DPR in order to grant them license and approval to operates.
    Kingsley-Sundaye thanked NSCDC for their support towards achieving the objectives of the department.

  • BREAKING: Egbemode, Akande’s son make Osun commissioners list

    President Nigeria Guild of Editors, Mrs. Funke Egbemode has made the list of commissioners and special advisers submitted to the Assembly by Osun Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

    Oyetola submitted the 35-man list on Tuesday.

    Osun Speaker Timothy Owoeye read the list at plenary.

    Read Also: 14 passengers abducted in Osun freed

    Also on the list are: Femi Akande, son of the former Interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Adebisi Akande; Mr Remi Omowaiye, Supervisor for Works and Mr. Nathaniel Agunbiade, who represented Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015.

    Yemi Lawal, running mate of Senator Iyiola Omisore, the 2018 governorship Candidate of SDP in Osun and Taiwo Akeju, the spokesperson of the SDP also made the list.

  • NDLEA intercepts 238kg of cannabis in Edo

    The Edo Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a vehicle conveying about 238 kilogrammes of substance suspected to be cannabis to Port Harcourt, in Rivers State.

    Mr Buba Wakawa, the State Commander of the NDLEA, who disclosed this to newsmen in Benin on Tuesday, said the vehicle belonged to an interstate cannabis smuggling syndicate.

    “The suspect is being held in connection with unlawful possession of 17 bags of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis weighing 238 kilogrammes hidden in a false compartment of a bus.

    “The arrest took place at Abudu along the Benin/Agbor Road based on intelligence report.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed that the J5 Bus with registration number Lagos XL 591 MUS conveying the cannabis took off from Ifon in Ondo State and was going to Port Harcourt when it was intercepted by officers of the Irrua Area Command.

    “The syndicate used the mode of concealment to smuggle drugs undetected. There were few empty crates of beer to mislead officers that there are no goods in the bus, but fortunately, they were caught in the act.

    READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests seven ‘drug barons’ in Kwara

    “We are working to bring all members of the criminal group to justice,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the 48-year-old suspect, who claimed to hail from Delta and married with four children, admitted transporting cannabis to earn a living.

    “I attended primary school in my home town, Owhelogbo in Isoko North Local Government Area, and after my primary education, I learnt welding from 1989 to 1994.

    “However, in 1995 I changed my carrier to driving and I transport cannabis to earn a living, but I am not the owner. They gave me N25, 000 after fuel and other expenses to deliver the drug,” the suspect said.

    The Commander, however, said that the suspect would soon be charged to court.

    (NAN)

  • Abacha family to Adoke: your claims on Malabu false

    The family of former head-of-state Gen. Sani Abachi on Monday hit back at former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Mohammed Adoke (SAN) over alleged false claims he made in his book.

    Adoke claims that the Abachas went to court over OPL 245 because of their political connections.

    But, the family said it was not directly in court over the oil deal as Adoke claims.

    In a statement by Mohammed Abacha, the family said Adoke made a “baseless allegation” in his book: Burden of Service – Reminiscences of Nigeria’s former Attorney General.

    Adoke writes: “The Abacha family decided to go to court and make claims on the OPL 245 otherwise known as Malabu because it has sympathisers in the Mohammadu Buhari Government.”

    The family said contrary to Adoke’s claim, a separate legal entity, Malabu Oil and Gas, in which Mohammed Abacha has a stake, is in court over OPL 245.

    Besides, the family said its members were citizens with rights and do not need influence or sympathisers in the government to seek justice through the legal process.

    Read Also: Adoke has case to answer on Malabu Oil Block scandal, says EFCC

    The family said Malabu Oil and Gas had consistently engaged the judicial process to seek redress even under previous administrations.

    “The Abacha family and/or Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd has always engaged the constitutional legal process in seeking redress and does not need any political sympathisers or conducive political environment to seek justice.

    “Malabu is presently in court not because of any sympathiser(s) in government. It has no such sympathisers and does not need one like the Adoke’s sense of justice of influence peddling would want the world to believe,” the family said.

    It added: “It is, therefore, unfortunate and totally false for Adoke, a former Chief Law Officer of the Federation to have been quoted or credited as saying that: ‘for the eight years that president Obasanjo was in power, the Abachas never came out to make a claim to OPL245. They never tried it under President Yar’adua. Under President Jonathan, they never came out boldly to assert any claim.’

    “It will be recalled that in 2010 Alhaji Mohammed Sani Abacha instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja in suit NO. FHC/ABJ/CS57/2010 before Hon. Justice Kolawole asserting his 50 per cent wnership shares in Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd.

    “It was during the pendency of this action that the purported re-allocation of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, and Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE) was carried out under the watch of Mohammed Adoke (SAN) in 2011.

    “Also, Mohammed Sani Abacha asserted his ownership of 50 per cent before the House of Representatives Committee on Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd in 2014. The report of the committee confirmed Mohammed Abacha’s 50 per cent ownership in Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd.

    “It will also be recalled that when the report was challenged at the Federal High Court Abuja before Hon. Justice A. R. Mohammed, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Abacha instructed the law firm of R.O. Atabo & Co. to file an application for him and Pecos Energy Ltd to participate in the case as interveners in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/816/2014.”

    Abacha said when his shares were allegedly altered on Form CO2 at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Abuja, he petitioned the CAC Director-General, following which the share structure was reversed and the matter referred to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation.

    “Notwithstanding the reversal of the share structure, Malabu Oil & Gas was purportedly sold and re-allocated to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep (SNUD) and Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE) under questionable circumstances for a consideration of $1.3billion,” the statement said.

    Abacha said $801,540,000 was allegedly transferred from the Federal Government Escrow Account to Keystone Bank and First Bank accounts controlled by a private individual, who was neither a shareholder nor director of Malabu Oil & Gas and without appropriation by the National Assembly.

    “All these happened when Mohammed Adoke was holding office as the Attorney-General of the Federation…

    “The 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that all monies accruing to the Government of the Federation shall be appropriated by the National Assembly,” the statement said.

    Abacha added that there was no shred of evidence that $801,540,000 was appropriated by the National Assembly.

  • Six-year-old Nigerian is Africa’s Microsoft Specialist

    A six-year-old pupil Damilare Akano has emerged Africa’s youngest Microsoft Specialist in the Certiport international certification examination organised by New Horizons Nigeria at its just-concluded Summer Camp in Lagos.

    He came tops in the Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2016 examinations with a score of 871 out of 1000 points, followed by Master Toluwalese Ayoola Kwaku, a 10-year-old boy who scored 825 while Kolawole Praise Akano, an eight-year-old, scored 800 points.

    They, alongside 200 other puils, participated in a month-long summer camp tagged Nextgen IT Experts organised by New Horizons Computer Learning Systems Limited, and were trained in various Information Communication Technology (ICT) courses such as Microsoft, Multimedia, Robotics Engineering, Drone Technology, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Coding.

    With this performance, Damilare, a primary one pupil, has become the youngest in Africa and indeed, one of the youngest in the world to achieve this feat.

    Damilare, Kolawole and Toluwalase, pupils of Scholar Crest International, Omole, Lagos among others, participated in the summer camp across the country.

    New Horizons, a United States-based organisation with offices in 85 countries is the world’s largest independent ICT training organisation.

    In Nigeria, New Horizons empowers over 50,000 pupils to success yearly in over 100 schools and 15 universities.

    Among the schools powered by New Horizons are Dansol, Doregoes, Vivan Fowler, Princeton, Honeyland, Phidel, Pottersland, Woodland, Startrite, Lightway, Surstart, First Age, Awesome Kids, Sunrise, Great Height, spring, Benford and NOWA Schools, among others.

  • BREAKING: Court orders Sowore’s release

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to forthwith grant freedom to detained convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore.

    Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a ruling on Tuesday, directed that Sowore, who was also presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in the last presidential election, be handed to his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who is to produce him for arraignment whenever he is required.

    Read Also;  Court strikes out DSS application to detain Sowore

    Justice Taiwo noted that since a charge has already been filed against Sowore, he should deposit his passport and other travel documents to ensure his availability for trial.

    The ruling was on an application for bail, which Falana argued early on Tuesday.

    Details shortly.

     

     

     

     

  • BREAKING: $9.6b verdict: Senate summons AGF Malami, Emefiele, NNPC GMD others

    The Senate has summoned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and other relevant government agencies to brief it on the details of the Gas contract to the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited and the $9.6billion penalty awarded against Nigeria.

    Details shortly…

  • Saving Nigerian girls from sex slavery

    There were startling revelations recently on how Nigeria girls were used as sex slaves in some West African countries. The Director-General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, let the cat out of the bag when she said that over 20,000 Nigerians girls were in Mali working as sex slaves.

    Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Ramatu Ahmed, re-echoed that over 10,000 Nigerian girls were working as sex slaves in that country.

    Those who commented on the issue decried the resurgence of slavery, in another guise, that was abolished in 1833, via the Slavery Abolition Act, and stressed that urgent measures must be taken to tackle this menace headlong.

    In December 2018, Okah-Donli disclosed that over 20,000 Nigerian girls were in Mali working as sex slaves.

    Addressing the ECOWAS Parliament, she said that the girls were sold for between N210,000 and N240,000, and expected to pay back about N1.2million through sex slaving before regaining their freedom.

    She told the parliament that: “Some of the girls arrived in their school uniforms, meaning that they were kidnapped on their way to or from school.

    “There are more than one million Nigerians residing in Mali; about 20,000 of these Nigerians are girls believed to be victims of trafficking and the number increases by 50 per day.

    “Many victims are deceived to leave their livelihoods in Nigeria for greener pastures in Mali.

    “Some of the victims were abducted from Nigeria, including those that arrived in their school uniforms,” she said.

    Okah-Donli who led a fact-finding mission to Mali disclosed that though the girls were forced into sex slavery; after regaining their freedom decided to become “madams of their own to deal in new girls.’’

    She said that some of the girls were unwilling to return to Nigeria as they were now used to the “sex for gold trade.’’

    Okah-Donli said that many of the victims who were rescued in 2011 and some others in 2017 came back to Nigeria, only to return with more girls.

    “The traffic madams are well known to the Nigerian community, but they are afraid to report them because of the complicity of the Malian security agencies, especially the gendarmerie that assist the traffickers to carry out their activities.

    “Nigerian victims are way-billed from a motor-park in Cotonou, dropped at Sikasso near the border with Burkina Faso, from where they are picked by Malian gendarmerie for delivery to their madams.

    “The Malian authorities collect taxes from the victims on a weekly basis and sell condoms and other medications compulsorily to their victims every month.

    “Malian women are already grumbling that Nigerian girls are taking their men, and there are fears of imminent xenophobic attacks.

    “Three Nigerian girls were killed between November and December 2018,’’ Okah-Donli said.

    Ahmed, in her testimony said that the sex trade business has become a source of serious concern to the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso.

    She said that the girls were deceived with job opportunities only to arrive and discover that they must go through the horror of sex slaving.

    “The spate of human trafficking here in Burkina Faso is a big concern to the embassy because at present, we have nothing less than 10,000 Nigerian girls who have been trafficked into Burkina Faso as commercial sex workers.

    “Most of these girls are underage, most left school and are roaming about doing commercial sex work in Burkina Faso.

    “This apart from being a dent to our country, it is also a sort of concern as far as their health is concerned.

    “For every Nigerian girl that escapes and wants to go back, there are more than 10 in the bush that are willing to carry on,’’ she said.

    Ahmed said that the embassy was partnering the International Organisation on Migration (IOM) office in Ouagadougou to assist in the voluntary repatriation of victims of trafficking.

    She said that, “200 girls have been repatriated to Nigeria by the embassy, this is apart from the ones that ran to the churches , some to other Civil Society Organisations(CSOs) and the International Organisations on Migration (IOM).’’

    Beyond repatriation, Ahmed insists that Nigerian parents must play their role by closely monitoring their children, so that they are not swayed into accepting deceitful promises of greener pastures abroad.

    “I am pleading with Nigerian parents that they should know what their children are doing, most of the girls said that their parents don’t know what they were doing.

    “This is a problem that emanates from the family,” she said.

    For the anti-trafficking agency, a multi-stakeholders approach has been adopted with a recent partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to establish a taskforce to fight human trafficking.

    READ ALSO: How I escaped sex slavery in Europe – Diete-Spiff’s wife

    The partnership according to NAPTIP is to decrease vulnerabilities to trafficking of women, children and the youth.

    To check trafficking of girls for sex slavery, Okah-Donli recommended among other things, that Nigeria should sign a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) with Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Guinea and Senegal.

    “All motor parks through which the girls are trafficked should be sanitised and efforts made to stop extortion of Nigerians travelling to or through the aforementioned countries.

    “There is need for comprehensive sensitisation of rescued victims before repatriation and a comprehensive blueprint worked out for tracing, empowerment and rehabilitation of victims,” Okah-Donli said.

    She said NAPTIP was ready to give technical support to Mali if it sought to establish an anti-human trafficking agency.

    The NAPTIP boss also suggested that the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and Goods should be properly implemented such that other nationals are not harassed in other ECOWAS countries.

    All in all, stakeholders suggest that concerted efforts should be made to stop the obnoxious business, as well as address economic situation in the country to make travelling abroad unattractive.

    (NANFeatures)

  • JUST IN: Senate to inaugurate Standing Committees Wednesday

    Senate will on Wednesday inaugurate its standing committees at plenary.

    President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan disclosed this after a closed-door session on Tuesday.

    The Senate had on resumption from its annual recess immediately went into an executive session.

    Lawan said that the Senate resolved during the executive session to inaugurate all its Standing Committees at plenary on Wednesday.

    Read Also: Senate may review security architecture, says Lawan

    He said the Senate also resolved to await the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper as well as the 2020 budget proposals by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He, however, did not give a definite date when the two important communication from the executive would get to the National Assembly.