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  • Fuel queues must end in seven days, Senate insists

    Fuel queues must end in seven days, Senate insists

    The Senate yesterday insisted that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ), must within seven days, end long queues in fuel stations across the country.

    The resolution followed the unanimous adoption of an interim report of the joint committee on Petroleum Resources, on the lingering fuel crisis in the country.

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Kabiru Marafa, told the Senate in plenary that the joint committee recommended that NNPC be issued a seven day ultimatum to ensure the disappearance of queues from fuel stations across the country.

    The Zamfara Central lawmaker underscored the need for security agencies to ensure effective boarder patrol to check diversion of petroleum products to neighbouring African countries.

    He noted that the report also recommended that the Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR) should double its efforts to enforce compliance with the government regulated pump price.

    Marafa said, “During the recess, the committee moved around some cities including Abuja and Lagos to ascertain the situation on ground. When we think that we are making progress, we just realised that the queues were resurfacing at the stations.

    “We also engaged with the NNPC and other stakeholders and we were informed that there were challenges of supply coupled with massive smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring countries for higher prices. Also there is the problem of marketers selling above approved pump price.”

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, urged management of NNPC to ensure compliance with the resolution and ensure the disappearance of long queues within the next seven days.

  • FG concludes process of spending N20b on exploration – Fayemi

    FG concludes process of spending N20b on exploration – Fayemi

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development Dr Kayode Fayemi has said that the Federal Government has concluded plans to spend another N20b on data exploration.

    Fayemi stated that the government the money will lead to further information being generated in the aspect of exploration which has been a major challenge in the sector.

    He also revealed that the government has paid for and retrieved arial survey that was conducted years ago but was not paid for by previous governments, that can now be used by mining investors.

    Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification Project (MINDIVER) project presentation, which was in collaboration with the World Bank.

    Fayemi added that Nigeria now takes the lead in regional efforts to develop mining, especially within the framework of the Africa Mining Vision. 

    His words, “It is noteworthy that in addition to funding support from multilateral agencies, partnerships on technical cooperation have also been brokered or re-activated with several foreign governments. Existing technical partnerships have been operationalised with the governments of South Africa, China, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Nigeria now takes the lead in regional efforts to develop mining, especially within the framework of the Africa Mining Vision. 

    “The ministry is finalizing plans to spend another N20b on exploration and the process has just been concluded, many of our expert institutions applied and we believe it will lead to further information being generated and further data being provided in thus area of exploration which has been a challenge. We gave also finally retrieved the Arial survey that was conducted years ago which was not paid for by government, we finally paud for ut and retrieved the data for the use of mining investors.

    “Only this week on Monday, i met with my counterpart from the Niger Republic to agree and finalize plans on exploration on minerals that  straddle both our countries, particularly uranium, limesrone and lead zinc and these are things that we will continue to do with partners from across the African continent.

    “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our regime of change in the mining sector has already begun yielding the desired results. For instance, our core mandate is to increase the share of our GDP generated from mining and deliver shared prosperity to all stakeholders through maximization of all aspects of the industry value chain namely exploration, mining, beneficiation and trade. Our strategy for building the mining sector is to initially focus on using its industrial mineral endowment to support its industrialization. It is now a government policy directive to support private industry by building overall competitiveness (e.g. quality, price, loss ratios) and improving the ease-of-doing-business, in collaboration with other government agencies.

    “Our aim is to create domestic demand by competing to replace ores and minerals currently being imported. In due course, as domestic processing expands, Nigeria will build a cost-led sector and foster production expertise in select non-industrial minerals. We are committed to continue in this spirit of partnership by investing in a range of enablers including bulk handling terminals, railroad and rolling stock capacity, technical and engineering capacity, regulatory reform, reorganization of the Ministry itself, and expansion of access to financing to drive sector transformation. Working with all stakeholders, we are determined to address the huge internal demand for our resources. Our inward focus is driven by the desire to ensure that the exploitation of our resources generates jobs locally and broadens the range of economic opportunities available to young Nigerians in the Mining sector.”

  • $16bn Egina oil probe: Unqualified firm got N50bn contract – Senate

    $16bn Egina oil probe: Unqualified firm got N50bn contract – Senate

    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 that an unqualified firm, NOV Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited got a whopping N50 billion contract from Total Upstream Nigeria Limited.

    The committee said that this is contrary to the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development ( NOGICD ) Act of 2010.

    It said that the discovery was made when the Managing Director of NOV Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, Mr. Bertrand Huet, appeared before the committee to brief it on its initially awarded contract from Total Upstream Nigeria Limited of $163 million.

    It said that the contract was later varied to $200million (N50billion).

    Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola in a statement by his Media Adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro, noted that in course of questioning on the basis of document submitted by the company, Total Upstream, NAPIMS and Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Development Board ( NCDMB ), it was admitted by  Mr. Huet, a French citizen that that he solely owned the company without any shareholding for Nigerian.

    Adeola said that the fact admitted by Huet “completely disqualified the company from getting such contract in the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy.”

    He noted that by the NOGICD Act of 2010 all such companies operating in Nigeria oil and gas sector must have a shareholding of 51% for Nigerians and 49% for others to be given approval by NCDMB, the regulatory body on Local Content law.

    Adeola (Lagos West) stated that the company that got a whopping N50 billion contract is a one man business solely owned by the managing director.

    He said that it was also discovered that the company was solely incorporated to corner some aspects of the Egina Project that should have been done by Nigerians.

    Adeola said, “There is need to unveil the true identity of NOV Oil and Gas and its operations in Nigeria. Once that is done to ascertain that the company has not breached Nigeria laws in its ownership structure, we can then go into the suspicious variation of its contract from $163 million to $202million and related matter of non adherence to Local Content law that denied Nigerian opportunity for training, capacity building and transfer of technology.”

    Adeola insisted that as representative of the people, “members of the committee will not allow any foreigner to do what they cannot do in their countries in Nigeria or to engage in practices that do not meet international best practices thereby shortchanging the people of Nigeria and Nigerians.”

    Adeola also said that two similar companies AVEON, and GILS Automation engaged in the Egina Project that were billed to appear before the committee but refused risked having their chief executives arrested if they refuse to show up in the next 24 hours.

    He said that non appearance after being duly invited indicates they have something to hide in the Egina Project.

    “The companies should not allow the Senate to invoke Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic to order for a warrant of the arrest of the chief executives of these companies.” Adeola said.

    He directed the executive secretary of NCDMB to stop all dealings and approvals for the companies pending their appearance before the committee.

  • Osun LG Election: Omoworare calls for votes for APC 

    Osun LG Election: Omoworare calls for votes for APC 

    The Senator representing Osun East (Ife/Ijesa) Senatorial District, Senator Babajide Omoworare has called on voters across the state especially in Ile-Ife and it’s environs to cast their vote for APC candidates in the forthcoming Local Government election in Osun State.

    The call was contained in a press statement issued in Ile-Ife by his media aide Comrade Tunde Dairo. He called on the people of Osun to vote APC candidates to replicate the giant strides of the APC government led by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in their local communities.

    He appealed specifically to the people of Ile-Ife to cast their votes for the APC candidates. According to Omoworare, “with complete sense of humility, I call on all our people in all the electoral wards of Ifeland to vote enmasse for all APC candidates in the forthcoming elections.”

    Omoworare went further to appeal to the people saying that “this election offers us a unique opportunity to bring to fore our indisputable position as a politically sophisticated people capable of determining our destinies devoid of parochial or primordial sentiments.”

    He expressed optimism in the capacity of the voting zone to establish itself as political fortress of the ruling APC and enjoy more democratic dividends.

    “It is my fervent hope that rather than make a regressive movement, our  choosing APC candidates over other parties in the local government election of Saturday will prime us in taking our rightful place where we can enjoy to the fullest the dividends of democracy we have so laboured for,” Omoworare said.

  • Protest as two factions present candidates for Edo LG polls

    Protest as two factions present candidates for Edo LG polls

    -APC to disqualify candidates

    There was massive protest at the Edo State secretariat of the All Progressive Congress ( APC ) on Thursday following the conduct of parallel primaries in Owan East local government for the March 3rd local government elections.

    Delegates from 10 wards led by the APC chairman in the locality, Mr. Roland Edeki, stormed the secretariat to demand for justice.

    The APC had on Wednesday conducted party primaries to elect its candidate for the local elections.

    But in Owan East, two candidates, Victor Ohiosumuan and Andrew Osigbe emerged at the two different primaries held at Afuze and Warrake communities respectively.

    The protesters said the party primaries held at Warrake was illegal.

    Mr. Edeki who spoke on behalf of the protesters said the party’s designated venue was the mini stadium at Afuze.

    He said the party must accept the candidacy of Barr. Ohiosumuan because they followed the directives and as such the party cannot reverse the exercise. 

    His words, “We are here to protest against the illegal primaries that was conducted by the Edo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu in Owan East local government. The primaries was to be conducted at a designated venue. What happened at the mini stadium in Afuze is the correct primaries but some people went to a private residence in Warrake to hold an illegal primaries.

    “The party directed that the party should be conducted at the mini stadium. The only candidate that emerge from the primaries is Barr. Victor Ohiosuma, any other person purported to have been elected is illegal. We did not see Barr. Emmanuel Agbale. They hijacked him and took him to Warrake. Instead of coming to conduct primaries at Afuze, they went to Warrake. We are asking for justice.”

    State Chairman of the party, Barr. Anselm Ojezua, said the party was yet to look into the report submitted by the committee sent to conduct the primaries in Owan East.

    Ojezua said the some candidates would be disqualified over alleged discrepancies in their educational qualifications.

    He dismissed that protesters as thugs and not delegates that voted at the party primaries. 

    “All those people, are they party executives? We have internal mechanism to deal with issues. We have room for appeals. What I saw outside is not one of the mechanism. If the LG chairman want to protest, he should do a letter to me. Bringing a bunch of thugs to my office representing them as delegates is irresponsible on his part. 

    “We constituted committees to go and conduct primaries across the state. The venues were decided by us. No LG chairman was authorized to conduct primaries anywhere. The committee went to Owan East and they have submitted their report.”

    Spokesman for the Deputy Governor, Mr. Musa Ebhomiana, said the primaries at Warrake was the genuine one recognized by the party.

    Musa said his boss was present at the parallel primaries as the deputy governor and leader of the party in Edo North.

    He said the deputy does not determined venue for primaries but to ensure peace across the state.

  • National Assembly is broke, says Saraki

    National Assembly is broke, says Saraki

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that despite the widespread perception that the National Assembly is being over funded, the national parliament is actually grappling with funding constraints in carrying out its statutory functions.

    Saraki, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, stated this when he paid a working visit to the Chairman and members of the National Assembly Service Commission ( NASC ) at their temporary office located in Utako, Abuja on Wednesday.

    It said that the Senate President who was responding to the request of the Chairman of the Commission, Mallam Adamu Fika, to have a permanent office of the Commission inside the National Assembly complex, pledged the support of the leadership towards the project.

    It said that Saraki noted that adequate funding remained the major challenge of the National Assembly.

    Saraki said: “One of the things that I see here today is the issue of budgetary constraints. However, the impression around the country is often that the National Assembly has too much money. But we have seen the challenges of the last few years.

    “As we work through the number of bills passed, the public hearings held, and the number of ad-hoc committees that have been established — we know the challenges of not being able to fund some of our activities. 

    “So far, I am happy to report that despite these constraints, the 8th Senate has been able to surpass all previous Senates in the number of Bills that we have passed in 2-years — despite the funding gaps.

    “We know that as we continue over time, people will begin to have more confidence in the National Assembly. However, right now, the challenges that we have are the issue of perception, and the issue of funding. We need to work hard to change this.”

    It said that Saraki who is also Chairman of the National Assembly, further noted that it has not been easy for Nigerians to appreciate the various roles of the legislature as an  arm of government being the youngest of the three arms of government.

    “Therefore, we all have a lot of work in trying to make the people appreciate the role of the legislature in our democracy,” Saraki said. “This has not been easy, this is why I am sure that working with the Commission, we can work towards this together so that we can improve the image of the National Assembly.”

    Chairman of the NASC, Dr. Adamu Fika, was quoted to have lamented that the commission still operates from a rented apartment with the attendant cost. 

    Fika urged the leadership of the National Assembly to come to the aide of NASC by supporting it to build a befitting permanent office within the National Assembly complex.

    It said that the NASC boss commended Saraki for being the first President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly to visited the office of the commission.

  • UK pledges support for Nigerian women involvement in politics

    UK pledges support for Nigerian women involvement in politics

    ….pushes for passage of gender equality bill in Nigeria

    The efforts to increase women participation in politics in the country has received the boost of the British government.

    The UK Special envoy on gender equality, Joanna Roper, said her country was ready to support Nigeria women to be actively involve in politics.

    Roper said that she had met with the Senate President Bukola Saraki who she said pledged support on the passage of the gender Bill by the National Assembly.

    She said seeing more women in politics in Nigeria was a priority to the UK government.

    ”Nigeria and UK will work together on gender equality and others.

    ”Twelve states in Nigeria have had their national plan on gender equality and this shows that UK and Nigeria can work together on it,” she said.

    According to her the British government is keen in the area of women involving in political participation in Nigeria.

    She said that the British government would help in the area of implementation of national action plan designed for it.

    ”This could be easily done through the national plan at the state level, and a lot of efforts had been made in this regard.

    ”I think conversation has started over it because that is where we could make impact it is a work in progress.

    ”Where we will be more concern is the area of female political participation and helping women to be part of mediation conflict resolution,” she said.

    She added that ”when women are involved in peace negotiation there is 35 per cent more likely to last 50 years or more 

    ”I think everybody recognise the importance of women in negotiation,” she said.

    She said that UK budgeted a total 250 million pounds for conflict, security and stability.

    The fund according to her is what the British government made available for security and conflict resolution, 

    Roper said that she had earlier met with the senate president, Bukola Saraki and had pledged to support the passage of gender equality bill.

  • Monkeys have been successfully cloned in China

    Monkeys have been successfully cloned in China

    By Moses Emorinken

    Just when we thought we had seen the heights of innovations in science and technology, scientists in China have successfully cloned two monkeys.

    China, in its aggressive bid to become the leader in science and technological innovation, have resurfaced with another groundbreaking creation – the cloning of monkeys in methods similar to the first cloned animal by scientists in Scotland in 1996 – Dolly the sheep.

    The genetically identical long-tailed macaques born in Shanghai last month, called Zhong Zhong (8 weeks old) and Hua Hua (6 weeks old), are the first primate clones produced.

    In times past, there have been scattered successes in the cloning of mammals like mice, sheep and cattle; however, the cloning of monkeys which is the closest primate to human had proven unsuccessful. Most of the failed experiments produced poorly formed monkeys or cloned monkeys that died moments after their birth.

    The cloning of these identical monkeys, which is the biggest breakthrough in science at the moment have generated a groundswell of public opinions, praises and condemnation in every quarters.

    We are tempted to reason that the implication of this scientific success is that human cloning is now theoretically possible; one that might be perfected in few years to come.

    For the open-minded and science enthusiasts, it is a welcomed development; for the cultural and religious, it means crossing the line in the limits of God’s expectations for man. To them, man has begun to play God, which is a very sad development.

    According to Muming Poo, a co-author, who directs the Institute of Neuroscience at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, “the technical barrier is now broken. In principle [this method] can be applied to humans”.

    Although the reason behind the monkey cloning program might not sit well with many in the scientific community who have raised concerns about animal ethics, Muming Poo however said that the cloned animals are to produce animal models useful for medicine, for human health; there is no intention to apply this method to humans.

    According to him, the ultimate goal is to clone monkeys on a large scale for use as test subjects because of their similarities to humans. These monkeys will be given specific diseases before they are born; this way, they can be used to test various treatments.

    It is not surprising that China is becoming a forerunner in science and technology, as it has almost doubled the number of its local universities in ten years and is heavy on state-funded research incentive programmes.

    China is poised to overtake the US and Europe in innovations in science and technology. Its aim is to become the number one innovator by 2030 and the undisputed leader in global science and technology by 2049.

  • Police rescues boy chained by grandmother, mother for months

    Police rescues boy chained by grandmother, mother for months

    …Arrest grandmother

    Ogun State Police Command rescued 12 years old, Segun Azeez, who was locked down with big chain and padlocked for three months by his grandmother, Mrs Yemi Kazeem.

    It was learnt that Segun’s  mother, Yomi Kazeem (Maiden name), an auxiliary nurse, and who had parted ways with his father, allegedly provided the chain and padlock with which he was tied to a spot at home for over two months.

    According to mother and grandmother, the motive is to prevent the boy from fleeing home.

    The Police Commissioner, Ahmed Illiyasu,  led over a dozen armed policemen and Operatives of the Federal Anti – Robbery Squad (FSARS), to a bland bungalow on Ife – Lagba, Obada town, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State and set the boy free from the forced incarceration around 4: 48pm on Wednesday.

    The  grandmother, Mrs Yemi Kazeem, was arrested for further investigation.

    Segun who broke down in tears after being rescued, said his ordeal began in his paternal family in Sagamu, where he alleged, someone charmed him and which made him to detest home and kept fleeing from it.

    Amid sobs, the boy said he was accustomed to deprivations and hunger which compelled him to  stop his education at primary three in Sagamu, adding that when his mother brought him to Obada town from Sagamu, he had thought his sufferings would lessen but unknown to him it was just a continuation in another dimension.

    Police Commissioner, Illiyasu, described the ill – treatment Segun  as inhuman and heinous, and capable of leading to “ritual killing  or child disappearance.”

    He said the crime was discovered through technical intelligence by the FSARS who were patrolling flash points and the boy was found “emaciated” because until his rescue, he “starves, urinates and defecates at spot where he was chained.”

    The grand mother, Yemi Kazeem, told reporters that the boy was stubborn and elected to chain him down to prevent him from stealing and further fleeing home.

    The woman said she suspected that Segun was having spiritual problems and had been fasting and praying so that what troubles him could be evicted.

    Also, the boy’s biological mother, Yomi Kazeem, said she was not aware that chaining Segun to a stake was a crime, adding that she bought the chain for the purpose of confining him to save the grandmother the stress of searching for him should he flee home.

  • 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.