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  • IGP warns police officers against selling motorbikes procured with loan

    IGP warns police officers against selling motorbikes procured with loan

    The Inspector General of Police ( IGP ) Ibrahim K. Idris, yesterday in Kano, warned junior Police officers, who were given motorcycle loan to enhance security in the state against selling the motorbikes.

    Idris, who gave the advice during the distribution of 500 motorcycles to Junior officers at the Kano Police Command Headquarters in Bompai, Kano, said that the officers should not in any way sell the motorbike, irrespective of their financial challenges. 

    The IGP, who was represented by the AIG zone 1, Daniel Bature, charged the junior officers to make judicious use of the motorcycles, which the IGP has provided them, in order to relieve their transportation challenges in performing their responsibilities of protection of life and property.    

    “I urge you all not to be tempted into selling off these bikes at cheap prices. I decided to support you with these motorcycles after considering what some of you pass through to get to your places of duty. These motorcycles will help you to beat time and report to work on time, as well as for other personal uses at home”.

    Furthermore, Ibrahim  restated his commitment to making life comfortable for police personnel, who have sacrificed their lives for the service of the nation, adding that the gesture is just the face phase of many more welfare packages lined up for the police..

    However, he warned that no police officer should dispose the motorcycle distributed to them in order to make quick money, as such move would not be tolerated.

  • Dangote group set to commence $150m Solar Power Project in Kano

    Dangote group set to commence $150m Solar Power Project in Kano

    Kano state Government has finally handed over 150 hectares of land promised to Dangote Group of companies for the development of $150m Dangote/Black Rhino Solar power plant in Zakirai, Gabasawa local government area of the state. 

    A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the provision of the 100 Solar megawatts was  signed between the  Kano state Government and the Dangote Group in August last year, with the aim of increasing electricity supply  to the people, revive the  industries closedown as well as enhance  the economic development of  the state .

    The Secretary to Kano State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji  signed on behalf of the state, while Executive Director Dangote Group , Engr. Mansur Ahmed  for his company, said the project will be jointly funded by its partners from the United States Black Rhino

    Representative of Aliko Dangote, Managing Director Stakeholder Management Dangote Group, Bello Danmusa received the land on behalf of the business magnatel. 

    The occasion was witnessed by representatives of the district head of Zakirai, Alhaji Abubakar Bello Bayero and Surveyor General of Kano state, Dayyabu Dandikko Rogo

    The project is expected to be completed within two years. 

    The representative of Alhaji Abubakar Bello Bayero thanked Aliko Dangote for the project saying  “It will enhance small businesses of women and youth for their empowerment and curb restiveness.”

  • $16bn EGINA probe: Senate panel uncovers N500m variation

    $16bn EGINA probe: Senate panel uncovers N500m variation

    The Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating Local Content and cost variation on the $16 Billion Egina Deep Sea oil project yesterday said that it has discovered N500 million variation from what the Federal Government through NAPIMS approved for a component of the project and the amount Total Upstream Nigeria Limited, the main operator of the project awarded it to SAIPEM Contracting Nigeria Limited.

    The committee said that it made the discovery in continuation of its investigation of the multi-billion dollar offshore oil project that will produce 200,000 barrels per day in course of its interaction with SAIPEM Contracting Nigeria Ltd handling underwater umbilicals and all under connecting links of the Egina project.

    It said that the Managing Director of SAIPEM Contracting Limited, Mr. Guido D’ Aloisio has stated that with documentary evidence from Total Upstream that the value of its contract amounted to $3.2 billion while the approved amount from a document before the Committee by the Federal Government through NAPIMS/NNPC is $2.7billion.

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola (Lagos West), and other members of the committee faulted the figure in SAIPEM document.

    He noted that for record purposes, it will rely on the figure from government agency involved in the transaction and not a private concern.

    “Between the letter of approval by NAPIMS in March, 2012 and April 2013 when Total awarded the contract to SAIPEM, there was a discrepancy that cannot be accounted for by currency fluctuations as the costing was 90% denominated in dollar with only 10% in Naira. So exchange rate fluctuations could not be responsible for the discrepancies” Senator Adeola stated.

    Adeola directed that NAPIMS and Total Upstream be invited to come and clarify the discrepancy adding that the explanation of SAIPEM Contracting Ltd amounts to cost variation through the back door after the approval of NAPIMS.

     Mr. D’ Aloiso disclosed that SAIPEM has been operating in Nigeria for the past 50 years and had been operating local content in all its projects even before the Nigeria Local Content Act of 2010 stressing that at present they have surpassed local content targets according to the NOGID Act.

  • End fuel queues in seven days, National Assembly orders NNPC

    End fuel queues in seven days, National Assembly orders NNPC

    A Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Petroleum Resources yesterday mandated the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) to end the lingering fuel scarcity and queues  at filling stations within seven days.

    The committee also asked the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies especially those at the borders to halt the alleged diversion of fuel tankers from Nigeria to neighbouring countries.

    Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa gave the ultimatum after a closed door meeting of members of the committee.

    The committee meeting was preceded by another meeting with the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Engr. Maikanti Baru and other top officials of the oil corporation.

    The lawmakers were said to have demanded explanations from the NNPC on why the fuel shortage had continued to linger with queues returning to major towns and cities across Nigeria.

    Marafa was said to have described the situation as embarrassing and acknowledged that though, NNPC made attempts to end the fuel shortage during the Christmas, the return of the queues in Lagos and Abuja was an indication that the problem was not completely over.

    Marafa was said to have insisted that “This situation has lingered for too long. Members of the public are suffering and when they are suffering, we cannot sit down, fold out hands and say all is well.

    “At a point, you told us the problem has been solved; we also saw that the fuel queues disappeared for some time, but unfortunately the queues have returned. You were even going from station to station monitoring the situation but you have not been able to resolve the issue once and for all.  In any situation, when your best is not good enough, it is very bad and most unfortunate.”

    He told the NNPC to address the committee on the reasons for the resurging long queues at various filling stations; what the NNPC had been doing to resolve the challenge and how long it would take before the queues could disappear completely 

    In a slide presentation, Baru attributed the situation to the on going repair  works on Apapa Wharf road  and the blockage of the road by some accidents vehicles, saying these created  challenges along the route and disrupted the free movement of fuel trucks from the fuel depots to other parts of Lagos.

    The NNPC boss also  blamed the current  fuel crisis on the breakdown of the Jebba/Mokwa road in Kwara State  as well as the crash-landing  of a vessel conveying  PMS along the Escravis/Warri/Oghara route. According to Baru, these two incidents also contributed to slowing down the pace of distribution of available petroleum products to different parts of the country.

    in addition, Baru disclosed that the NNPC was still bugged down by the challenges of product diversion and smuggling of same across the borders. According to him, the price of petrol in neighbouring countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin and Ghana were at least double the price of the product in Nigeria. He explained that this price differential has made the smuggling of the product very attractive.

    Baru however, said the NNPC will continue to tackle the  fuel shortage  by injecting an average of 60million litres of petrol into the market on a daily basis.

    In spite of these explanations, many members of the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the  situation, observing that the NNPC was still working around the symptoms of the fuel crisis and building all its solutions on fuel importation rather than making the nation’s refineries to work to ensure product availability all the year round.

    The committee therefore resolved that the NNPC must change the  narrative on the crisis and end  the queues in seven days without excuses.

  • We did not procure S/Court judgment, PDP replies Obasanjo

    We did not procure S/Court judgment, PDP replies Obasanjo

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has denied procuring judgment of the Supreme Court in the string of litigations that trailed the victory of many of its governors in the 2015 elections.

    In a statement on Wednesday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it represents the true coalition of Nigerians from across the country.

    It added that its experience in governance and successful rebound from challenges has provided it an edge over every other existing or intended political platforms in the country.

    In his recent letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had accused a certain PDP governor in the South-South of seeking to take control of the opposition party, simply because he procured the judgment of the apex court in respect of the cases involving a number of PDP governors.

    “The PDP did not procure judgment from the Supreme Court contrary to the unsubstantiated claims made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his letter advising President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.

    “Obasanjo’s claim on procurement of judgement amounts to an ill-intended attempt to impugn on the integrity of the Supreme Court, particularly when such a claim is false and not predicated on any empirical proof.

    “The party said that the ruling of the Supreme Court, which ended the protracted internal feud within its fold, rather than detract, reinforced the confidence of Nigerians in the PDP as the platform that truly embodies the resilience of a genuine democratic process in the face of daunting challenges.

    “Even the worst critics of PDP concede that the judgment of the Supreme Court, was unprejudiced, uninfluenced and determined completely on merit, for which it was applauded in Nigeria and across the world.

    “Also, the conduct of our December 2017 elective national convention in a transparent, free and fair manner and where nobody was ‘kingmaker,’ denotes the democratic credential of the repositioned PDP to deliver credible primaries that would yield a presidential candidate Nigerians desire”.

    The PDP said there is an extensive dissimilarity between it and the All Progressives Congress ( APC ). The party said while it remains nationally populist and development-driven, “the APC by orientation and composure is arrogant, inept and anti-people, hence the nationwide detestation against it”, the statement said.

    The opposition party said it’s not like the APC, where a very few individuals from within a circle control the instrument of power and governance.

    It claimed to be an egalitarian platform where Nigerians are free to express themselves, politically engage and freely aspire to any office without regard to divisive considerations.

  • Osun LG polls: 318 candidates to run unopposed

    Osun LG polls: 318 candidates to run unopposed

    …Osun declares Thursday, Friday work free days

    The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission ( OSIEC ) on Wednesday said that 318 councillorship candidates are running unopposed in the Saturday January 27 elections. This is because there are no candidates running against them.

    According to the commission, the election would therefore hold in 71 out of 389 wards in the state.

    The Chairman of OSIEC, Barr. Segun Oladitan, at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital, further disclosed that another 12 political parties have withdrawn from participating in the election, adding that only 6 parties would now participate.

    He also said the election would hold in 6 wards of the Central District, 13 wards in the West and 52 wards in the East Senatorial District of the state.

    In his words: “For the purpose of this election which is based on the parliamentary system of government, 38 parties registered at the initial stage out of which only 18 signified their intention to participate. I can reliably tell you that 12 political parties have withdrawn from participating in the election, remaining only 6 political parties in the race.

    “Of all the candidates representing the participating political parties in the 389 wards across the state, 318 councillorship candidates in 318 wards have been presented unopposed representing the candidates who satisfy the requirements of the law with reference to section 41 of the Electoral Act (2011) as amended. Therefore, there shall be elections in only 71 wards of the state.”

    The OSIEC chairman, who spoke about the injunction against the commission, said the state high court sitting in Ilesha on Tuesday dismissed application for restraining the commission, hinting that the Federal High Court, Abuja also on Wednesday dismissed the exparte motion, sought to restrain the commission from conducting the Saturday local government election.

    He gave an assurance of free and fair poll, adding that there would be vehicular restriction that he said would exclude federal roads from 7am to 2 pm.

    Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Sola Fasure, in a statement, said that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has vacated its order 2017 restraining the holding of elections into the Local Council Development Authorities ( LCDAs ) and withholding local Government Allocations in the state.

    The court had on December 4, 2017 ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria, Accountant General of the Federal government and Ministry of Finance to warehouse statutory allocations to the local government councils in the state, as prayed by three members of the Peoples Democratic Party in a Motion Experte.

    The PDP members, Chief Kolawole Osunkemitan, Chief Douglas Adeyinka Oyinlola and Prince Aderemi Adeniran Adelowo had approached the court with an application for the stoppage of monies for the local government in the state in an attempt to stop the conduct of the local government in the state.

    Contesting the court order, the state government filed an application before the court with a prayer for the vacation of the order.

    According to him: “In his ruling on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, Justice John Tosho of the court held that the interim order earlier granted restraining the holding of elections into the LCDAs and withholding Local Government Allocations has lapsed by effusion of time.

    “Justice Tosho also upheld the contention of  the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Dr. Ajibola Basiru that the orders earlier for the plaintiffs were made upon the earlier ex parte application heard on November 27, 2017.

    “The court further held that they were caught by the provision of Order 26, Rule 12 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules which provides that an order granted upon an ex parte application will lapse where a person affected by the orders filed as application to discharge and/or vary the orders and the application is not heard within fourteen (14) days of filing.”

    Consequently, the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf  Aregbesola, has called on Osun eligible voters to come out  to perform their civic responsibility in the Local Government Parliamentary Election, without let or hindrances.

    This was just as the state government‎ declared Thursday and Friday January 25 and 26, 2018 as work free days to enable Osun residents prepare and participate in the election scheduled to hold on Saturday January 27, 2018.‎

  • MOSOP raises the alarm over plot to assassinate its president

    MOSOP raises the alarm over plot to assassinate its president

    The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People ( MOSOP ) has raised the alarm over plot by key oil industry operators in Nigeria to assassinate its president, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara.

    The disclosure was made yesterday in Port Harcourt by the Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke.

    He said: “The plot is being hatched through the sponsorship of local actors to engage in a campaign of calumny against the leadership of MOSOP, cause crises in Ogoni and provide an environment to kill the MOSOP president, by replicating the Ken Saro-Wiwa treatment.

    “We want to alert the world of the activities of Belema Oil Producing Limited and Robo-Micheal Limited, all Nigerian companies that have engaged local actors, sponsoring groups and individuals, solely to cause crises in Ogoni, to justify a crackdown on activists and treat the present leadership of MOSOP in the same way it dealt with a generation of Ogoni leaders in the 90s, which eventually led to the November 10, 1995 hanging of renowned environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight other Ogoni activists.

    “MOSOP unequivocally says no to any plan to resume oil production in Ogoniland, until there is proper negotiation. We denounce the activities of Belema Oil Producing Limited and Robo-Micheal Limited in Ogoniland.

    “Ogoni problem is not just about oil, but an unjust system that has marginalised our people, discriminated against us and it is driving us into extinction. These, we must note, are far beyond the capacity of any oil local industry operator to resolve.”

    MOSOP also insisted that the three parties to the Ogoni conflict: Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited ( SPDC ), the Nigerian government and the Ogoni people, must dialogue to resolve the issues.

    The umbrella organisation of Ogoni people called on Ogoni people to be mindful of the devilish plots by the Nigerian oil industry, allegedly being orchestrated by Belema Oil Producing Limited and Robo Micheal Limited, while urging the peace-loving Ogoni people not to be lured and used by the oil industry against one another.

  • Senate committee on INEC holds budget defence in Abuja

    Senate committee on INEC holds budget defence in Abuja

    Senate C’tee on INEC holds Budget Defence in Abuja.

    Pic 15. From left: National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu; INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and another National Commissioner, Hajiya Amina Zakari, during INEC Budget Defence before the Senate Committee on INEC at the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday (24/1/18).
    00439/24/1/2018/Hogan Bassey/ICE/NAN
    Pic 17. Chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Sen Rafiu Ibrahim (r), with members of the committee, Sen Sam Anyawu (l), and Sen Philips Gynuka, during their meeting with Asset Management Cooperation of Nigeria (AMCON) Management Team at the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday (24/1/18).
    00441/24/1/2018/Hogan Bassey/ICE/NAN

    NAN

  • Why we turned out 1,027 graduates with pass degrees – OOU ‘s VC

    Why we turned out 1,027 graduates with pass degrees – OOU ‘s VC

    … As 15 make First Class list, 74 PhDs, others

    Olabisi Onabanjo University ( OOU ), Ago – Iwoye, said it has turned out 1,027 graduands with pass degrees despite directive by the National Universities Commission ( NUC ) which  abolished the award of a Pass Degree in Nigerian Universities.

    The NUC directive took effect from the 2013/ 2014 academic session.

    The University Vice – Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunde, said the awardees were not affected by the policy.

    Ganiyu who made this known at the institution’s Main Campus, Ago – Iwoye, while fielding questions from journalists at a press briefing on the activities lined – up for the 27th Convocation ceremony which began on Wednesday, said whenever NUC initiates a new policy, it does not take immediate effect.

    “When NUC gives directive on change in curriculum or policy, it does not start immediately. It will only start with 100 level students in the year the policy is initiated. 

    “So, our awardees are not affected and that is why we still having pass degrees, by the policy takes its full implementation, there will be no such again,” he said.

    He, however, revealed that 15 graduands mad First Class Degree list, 531 Second Class Uppers, 2,673 Second Class Lower, 1159 Third Class degrees, 74 Doctorate degrees and 105 Master Degree graduands at its 27th Convocation ceremony while one person bagged Master Philosophy (M.Phil).

    The Vice – Chancellor also disclosed that four distinguished Nigerians would be conferred with honorary Doctorate Degrees of the institution for their contributions to the development of Nigeria and humanity.

    The awardees are the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Chairman of First Bank PLC, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, foremost Nigerian banker, entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor,  Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, and one other.

  • Police arrest killers of 19 Villagers and two Policemen

    Police arrest killers of 19 Villagers and two Policemen

    The killers of 19 villagers and two policemen in Alawa In Shiroro local government area of Niger state have been arrested by the Police.

    The Force Public Relation Officer,  Jimoh Moshood while parading the bandits at the Niger state Police Command said that the 11 bandits were responsible for razing down the Police Station at Alawa and killing two policemen.
    He added that the bandits, who have been terrorising Tegina, Makera, Shiroro areas in Niger state and Zamfara state, have confessed to have kidnap and killed 19 people including seven people that were kidnapped in a mosque in Shiroro local government area. 
    Moshood added that the bandits were arrested by a special Tactical Squad under Operation Absolute Sanity set up by the Inspector General of Police. 
    It was gathered that the suspects were once vigilantes in Alawa community of Shiroro local government area who turned to kidnapping when they saw it would be more profitable for them.
    Questioning the leader of the gang,  Lawal Kwali ‘Mai saje’, he said that he was not commissioned to kidnap and kill any NJ ody adding that ‘I killed them just like that. ‘
    Accepting responsibility for the whole operation, Kwali said,  ‘what my boys did,  the people they killed were done under my directive. I was not paid or commissioned for their kidnap or killing, I did it and gave the orders out of my own discretion.”
    One of the suspects, Zakari Mamman recounted a scenario where a father was pleading that his son was spared but they ended up killing both father and son adding that he worked at the directive of Kwali confessing that they buried the bodies of their victims in a secondary school in Alawa.
    “I was the one who interviewed the seven people brought from the mosque, after interviewing them, we marked them for death. My master has those who specializes in slaughtering the people, I only supervise the killings. There was a 12 year old child whose father pleaded that he should be spared but we slaughtered the son at the presence of the father before killing the father. “
    An lucky victim identified Lawal Kwali and his team as vigilantes in his community saying that he and his brother were kidnapped on their way from the market and were released after his people paid a ransom of N350, 000.