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  • Senate rolls out legislative agenda

    The Senate on Wednesday received report of its ad-hoc committee on the 9th Senate Legislative Agenda.

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) presented the report.

    The consideration and adoption of the report has been slated for Thursday.

    “This is to enable Senators time to read and digest the report for effective contributions during its debate,” said the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan.

    Lawan had on assumption of office pledged to fashion a legislative agenda to guide the effective performance of Senators.

    Senator Aliero listed youth empowerment to curb increasing number of youth unemployment, poverty alleviation to ensure that 100 million Nigerians are lifted out of poverty in the next four years as part of the plank of the agenda.

    Read Also; Senate moves to regulate inflow of aids to Nigeria

    Aliero also listed a legislative framework to tackle the phenomenon of out of school children in the country, creation of special health centres in the six geopolitical zones and reduction of acute housing deficit in the country.

    The Kebbi Central Senator also listed fashioning legislative measures to further enhance gender equality, tackle infrastructure deficit, increase agricultural production, fast track the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and holistic reform of the oil and gas sector as other part of the agenda.

    He said the Senate would also work to further block revenue leakages, back anti-corruption agenda of the Federal Government and make procurement processes less cumbersome.

    He highlighted the Open NASS policy, where the budget of the National Assembly would be in the public glare.

    “By throwing open the budget of the National Assembly, Nigerians will know that we have nothing to hide,” Aliero said.

  • Nobody must maltreat Osinbajo – Northern youths

    The coalition of Northern Nigerian Youth has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to halt any attempt that can lead to maltreatment or embarrassment of any kind against Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Speaking to the journalists in Kano, Mallam Yusuf Abdulmalik said any attempt to whistle down the influence of Osinbajo will label Buhari, and by extension, the North as ungrateful people, creating a bad image for the region to the entire world.

    He said Osinbajo, who has displayed maximum loyalty to the President in his presence and absence, is the face of the Church and strength of the Yorubas as well as the South in Buhari administration.

    Abdulmalik pleaded the Vice President should never be abandoned at any time.

    He further noted that the smooth relationship between Buhari and Osinbajo in the last four years has given more life to the one Nigeria spirit and should never be allowed to be destroyed by some selfish individuals hiding under the bed to stain the hard- earned integrity of the President.

    READ ALSO: Osinbajo presides over FEC as Buhari continues with foreign engagements at UNGA

    The leader of the group recalled how the Vice-President touched every nook and cranny of the country during the reelection campaign, preaching the next level message of the President.

    He described him as an accomplished Professor of Law and a great servant of God,urging the President to put a stop to any attempt to strip him of his constitutional powers in favour of anyone within or outside the government.

    He appealed to the President to do everything within his reach to protect the interests of his loyal and dependable Vice for the sake of the country.

  • Red hot Osimhen gets sixth season for Lille

    Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen took his goal count for the season to six in seven games with a goal for Lille in their 2-0 win over Strasbourg.

    Osimhen opened scoring for Lille in the 43rd minute with a calm finish to hand his team a 1-0 lead going into the half time breal and fifteen minutes after the break he was on hand to set up Loic Remy for the second goal for Lille.

    Read Also: French Ligue1: Osimhen, Kalu score Simon plays for 90 minutes

    The win takes Lille to second spot on the table with Osimhen who was signed in the summer from Belgium side Charleroi playing a huge role in their fine start to the season in France.

    Since marking his debut with a brace against Nantes, he scored another brace against Saint-Etienne before finding the net againt Angers and later today against Strasbourg.

    He extended his fine form to the senior national team of Nigeria where he scored his first international goal for the team in the 2-2 friendly draw against Ukraine during the last international round of games

  • I’ll waive my constitutional immunity to clear my name – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has declared his readiness to waive his constitutional immunity to “enable the most robust adjudication” of several baseless allegations, insinuation and falsehoods against his person and office.

    Prof. Osinbajo made the declaration in a tweet he personally authored on Wednesday afternoon.

    He said “In the past few days, a spate of reckless and malicious falsehoods have been peddled in the media against me by a group of malicious individuals.

    “The defamatory and misleading assertions invented by this clique had mostly been making the social media rounds anonymously.

    Read Also: Nobody must maltreat Osinbajo – Northern youths

    “I have today instructed the commencement of legal action against two individuals, one Timi Frank and another Katch Ononuju, who have put their names to these odious falsehoods.

    “I will waive my constitutional immunity to enable the most robust adjudication of these claims of libel and malicious falsehood.” he said

  • $9.6b award: Fed Govt raises 13 points against P&ID, exposes trick clause in MoU

    Twenty Four hours to its sitting, the Federal Government team has raised 13 grounds on why a London court should reverse the $9.6billion judgment secured against Nigeria by Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID).

    The delegation has also  exposed the trick clause used by P&ID to secure the Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA), which led to  the controversial arbitration award.

    The government has discovered that the Memorandum of Understanding on the gas contract was signed in 2009 by P&ID Nigeria Limited with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    But, a trick clause was inserted in the MoU, which allowed the British Virgin Island (BVI)- registered P&ID to replace the original contractual party, P&ID Nigeria Limited, to sign the contract on January 11, 2010.

    The team said the P&ID case cannot stand because the contract was fraudulent.

    According to sources, who spoke with The Nation, the government was able to discover the supplanting of P&ID Nigeria Limited in the course of the ongoing probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Police and others security agencies.

    Read Also: Buhari at UN lashes P&ID for $9.6b swindle attempt

    The latest evidence is one of the strongest points to be tabled by Nigeria’s lawyers tomorrow when the legal battle on the arbitral award begins.

    Nigeria is also insisting that the contract was not  vetted by the office of the Attorney- General of the Federation and it was not taken to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for  approval.

    One of the sources said: “We are raising 13 grounds  of defence on Thursday against P&ID  for a stay of execution and a declaration of the arbitral award as a nullity, based on substantial evidence of fraud and economic sabotage.

    “Of importance, detectives have  discovered that the MoU for the GSPA was entered into with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources  by P&ID Nigeria Limited and the contract signed by P&ID of the British Virgin Island.

    “It was a contract filled with deception, with an ultimate target of swindling Nigeria. Our legal team has taken judicious notice of this amorphous clause.”

    The source added: “A contract of that magnitude cannot be valid until it has been vetted by the office of the Attorney- General of the Federation and taken to the Federal Executive Council for approval. None of these was done. The sham contract was also signed in contravention of the infrastructural Regulatory Commission Act and Public Procurement Act.

    ”While the initial MOU for the project was signed in 2009 by P&ID Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian government (Ministry of Petroleum Resources), a ‘trick’ clause in the MoU was curiously activated that allowed British Virgin Island (BVI) registered P&ID to replace the original contractual party, P&ID Nigeria Limited, to sign the contract in January 11, 2010.

    “ P&ID incorporated in the British Virgin Island is a Shell Company that has no history of any business except the phantom gas supply project in Nigeria. There was no board resolution approving the assignment of the contractual interest to the BVI registered entity.

    ” P&ID never kick started the construction of the project facility, it claimed to have incurred $40 million in preliminary expenses. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has confirmed that there is no record of such investment, or any transaction related to the gas project in Nigeria by P&ID from 2010 to date.

    “There is no proof of any initial commitment by P&ID toward the execution and implementation as its own obligations as stipulated in the agreement signed in 2010.

    “P&ID could not meet any of the requirements the company was asked to provide. They include:

    • Updated proposal for the gas processing and utilisation
    • Identification of project site
    • Land acquisition
    • MoU with other agencies pertaining to gas processing in Nigeria
    • Evidence of financial capacity

    Another source, who is privileged to be involved in the investigation and legal battle against P&ID, said the contract was a sham dotted with bribery and corruption.

    The source said: “Suspicious payments were made to Mrs. Grace Taiga who, as the Legal Director in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, was vested with the responsibility of providing legal counsel to the Federal Government and ensuring that the interest of the country was adequately protected in the contract. Industrial Consultants International limited, a company associated with P&ID, made two transfers to Ms. Taiga in 2017 and 2018. These transfers could only have been made in appreciation of the ‘good deed’ done to the company by Mrs. Taiga, which has entitled her to agreed or perpetual benefits.

    ”There was no budgetary provision for the implementation of the GSPA in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2010 while the P&ID did not have any licence to deal in petroleum product.

    “The firm also failed to file tax returns and pay VAT to the Federal Inland Revenue Service as required by law.

    ”The unprecedented $9.6 billion in arbitration award to P&ID is an unreasonable reward to a company that has done nothing more than to engage in fraud and economic sabotage.

    “Not only does this run against the course of justice, but more importantly, failing to recognize this sham would bring harm and hardship to Nigeria, as well as the wider region.

    ”Two directors of P&ID in Nigeria have been convicted of charges of money laundering and economic sabotage. Muhammad Kuchazi, commercial director of P&ID, the British Virgin Islands, and Adamu Usman, a director of the company in Nigeria, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of economic sabotage and money laundering at a Federal High Court in Abuja last Thursday.”

    It was learnt that the government delegation in the United Kingdom has so far succeeded in setting the records straight to stakeholders, investors and the media.

    Another source said: “We have been going round in the last three days to meet with the critical segments of the UK society. We discovered that many stakeholders did not have balanced information on what led to the $9.6billion, which was a judicial ambush.

    ”The dispute that led to Arbitration between the Nigerian government (Ministry of Petroleum Resources) and the Irish engineering company P&ID arose from a 20-year Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA) entered in 2010 between the two parties in respect of an accelerated gas development project in Nigeria’s OMLs 67 and 123.

    “P&ID’s claim in the arbitration proceedings was mainly for loss of profit for the entire 20-year term of the GSPA, initially claiming the sum of  $1.9 billion and later increasing its claim to  $5.9 billion.

    “The Arbitral Tribunal on 3lst January, 2017, rendered its Final Award against Nigeria (Ministry of Petroleum Resources) in the sum of  $6.597 billion together with pre-award interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum effective from 20th March 2013 and post-award interest at the same rate till date of payment. This interest has increased the size of the award to $9.6 billion.

    “In arriving at this decision, the tribunal ignored the ruling of a Federal High Court in Lagos that the award be set aside.

    “On Friday 16 August 2019 at the United Kingdom’s Business & Property Courts (the Commercial Court), Mr. Justice Butcher granted P&ID’s enforcement application which converts the arbitration award secured by P&ID into a domestic UK judgment against Nigeria.”

  • Puyol turns down offer to be Barcelona’s sporting director

    Former captain Carles Puyol has rejected Barça’s offer to become the club’s new sporting director.

    He explained that several personal projects prevent him from dedicating himself exclusively to Barça.

    “Good afternoon everyone, in recent weeks, different news about my possible incorporation to Barcelona as Sporting Director has been published.

    “That is why I feel obliged to communicate to the whole family I knew that, after weighing a lot.”

    “I have decided not to accept the Club offer. It has not been an easy decision, since I have always said that I would like to return to what I consider my home, but several personal projects in which I am immersed”

    “I would be prevented at this time from giving you the exclusive dedication that the position deserves.

    “I would like to thank the club for the trust placed in me by offering me this position of so much responsibility.”

     

     

  • How we plan to create 100m jobs, by VP

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has explained how President Muhammadu Buhari plans to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

    He said the Federal Government’s policies and programmes aimed at promoting financial inclusion remain key to the actualisation of the plan.

    Prof. Osinbajo spoke in Abuja at the opening of the Annual Conference of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice-President referred to the President’s June 12 speech where he stated that “we are working to lift Nigerians out of poverty and set them on the path to prosperity. We intend to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next 10 years”.

    Read Also: AfCFTA’ll open new vistas to banking sector, says Osinbajo

    Osinbajo said: “Financial inclusion, of course, is the key to realising so much of what we expect as an economy and the President promised in his June 12 speech to lift 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years. That is the commitment of the government of Nigeria.

    “We started that journey with our collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to deliver the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) programme, better known as TraderMoni and MarketMoni by providing microcredit to almost two million petty traders.

    “The Bank of Industry has now brought this huge bottom of the pyramid into the formal financial system and that has been recognised worldwide. “Recently, the programme won the African Development Bank (AfDB) prize for financial inclusion because of the work that was done with TraderMoni. This is a huge task.

    “Going forward, we now need to embark on financial training for all of those who have been brought into the net. As you know, when they’re given N10,000 and they pay back, they are given N15,000, N20,000, and it goes all the way.

    “But at that point they’re given their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), they’re formally included in the financial system; they’re formally included as formal traders. So, we are able to give them financial training and all that.”

    He added: “…For very long, that bottom of the pyramid has been completely excluded and yet informal trade is a significant part of trading that is going on in our country.

    “So, there’s a real need out there and we must devise the methods by which those at the bottom of the pyramid can be uplifted. We must look at how we can even resource the entire value chain. What we find is that the petty trader, who just has a trade, is usually selling little bits and pieces from many of the manufacturers or fast-moving products. We found that just by giving them credit, we can resource the whole value chain all the way up.”

  • Nigerian Navy hands over seven suspects to NSCDC

    The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos command, has said another seven suspected Premuim Motor Spirit (PMS) illegal dealers have been handed to the command by the Nigerian Navy.

    The Spokesperson for NSCDC, Lagos command, Mrs Kehinde Bada-Okoli, who disclosed to newsmen on Wednesday, said the suspects are all male.

    Bada-Okoli, said some of the items recovered from the suspects includes 80 drums of 250 litres of PMS and 100 of 250 liter empty drums.

    Read Also: NSCDC parades suspected illegal oil dealers in Abia

    “Other items recovered included two 50 Horse Power (HP) outboard engines, one pumping machine and one 50 HP spare machine,” she said.

    She said the suspects would be handed over to the appropriate agency for further investigation and prosecution.

    The NSCDC spokesperson said that the corps would not rest on its oars in carrying out its mandate of protecting critical infrastructure as well as lives and property, towards ensuring a crime-free Lagos.

    She enjoined the populace to avail the Corps and other security agencies with necessary intelligence information to rid the state of all forms of crimes,” she said.

    NAN

  • Oba Oniru lived `life of significance’ – Osinbajo

    The Vice-President, Prof.  Yemi Osinbajo, said in Lagos on Wednesday that Oniru of Iruland, Oba Abiodun Oniru, lived a life of significance and contribution to the nation.

    Osinbajo spoke during a condolence visit to the family of the late monarch at his Victoria Island Palace.

    Oniru died on Monday after a brief illness.

    Aged 82, the traditional ruler is survived by wives and children, among whom are a former Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront, Adesegun Oniru, and an On-Air personality, Tolu Demuren, also known as Toolz.

    The vice-president said that the late Oniru’s guidance and counsel all the time was impactful.

    “I served in this state as Attorney-General and throughout that period, he was always there for us, always there to support us.

    Read Also: We’re not probing Osinbajo, N-SIP-EFCC

    “So, we are all deeply saddened about his departure and we have all lost a father, we have all lost a dear father.

    “We thank God that he lived a life of significance; he lived a life of serious contribution to our state and the nation.

    “So, on behalf of the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari, I express sincere condolence to the Oniru family and to our state, Lagos State,’’ he said.

    Responding on behalf of the family, Adesegun thanked the vice-president for finding time to come to condole with the family.

    He recalled that while Osinbajo served as the Attorney General of Lagos State, he also served in that cabinet which had contributed a lot to the nation.

    Osinbajo had earlier signed the condolence registrar.

     

  • Presidency faults online reports criticizing Buhari’s response at UN climate summit

    The Presidency has faulted media reports criticising President Muhammadu Buhari’s participation at the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 on Monday.

    A statement by the President’s Media Office on Wednesday said the controversy that followed the summit was uncalled for.

    It reads “On Monday September 23, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari participated alongside other world leaders at the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019.

    “Since then, we have seen conversations on Twitter doing what Twitter allows many people to spend a lot of their time on: getting things horribly wrong and/or focusing on the wrong things, while completely missing the real/meaningful/actual message.

    “And so, this is a backgrounder/explainer, focusing on Nigeria’s commitment to climate action, under the Buhari Administration.

    “The Climate Action Summit was convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, to provide an opportunity for world leaders to, “come to New York on 23 September with concrete, realistic plans to enhance their nationally determined contributions by 2020, in line with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent over the next decade, and to net zero emissions by 2050.”

    “The theme of President Buhari’s panel was, “Towards a Resilient Future” — with the rider: “Announcement of plans to mainstream climate risk in decision making.”

    “So, note that the goal of the panel was to elicit ‘announcements’ from the panelists on behalf of their respective countries: Fiji, Nigeria, Netherlands, the Bank of England, etc. In other words, panelists were billed to deliver remarks announcing their country/organisation plans to build a resilient, climate-sensitive future.

    Read Also: Buhari’s double shuffle

    ‘To address the theme of the event, President Buhari chose to deliver prepared remarks.

    “And the moderator’s question, was, in keeping with the theme: “President Buhari, Nigeria has a very young population; perhaps you might highlight what a pathway for a resilient future looks like?”

    “The President did exactly that, in his prepared remarks, over the next few minutes, highlighting what a “resilient future” will look like in Nigeria — by focusing on the administration’s policies (the ones already being implemented, like the Green Bonds, and the ones set for implementation, like the new tree-planting campaign, and the energy mix target).

    “His prepared remarks were wholly in alignment with the theme of the Panel event, and the question he was asked.

    “Keep in mind that as panels often work, the moderator’s question was meant to invite/usher him to take the stage, and share his remarks. As a panelist it was up to him to choose to respond ex tempore, or to go the ‘prepared remarks way.’

    ‘He chose the prepared remarks way. And most importantly, he touched on the issues re: mainstreaming climate action for the future and for the young people of Nigeria.

    “The only story here, for all serious minded people, is what he said, and what it means for the future and for the young people of Nigeria. His remarks read in parts:

    “I share the sentiment expressed by the Secretary-General that the world is on the verge of climate catastrophe. Undeniably, Climate Change is a human-induced phenomenon.

    “In the water sector, Nigeria will issue a Green Bond for irrigation and construct multi-purpose dams for power, irrigation and water supply. We will strengthen solid and liquid waste management systems to attract more private sector investors.

    “We will mobilize Nigerian youths towards planting 25 million trees to enhance Nigeria’s carbon sink.

    “Specifically, Nigeria is progressively working to realize 30 percent energy efficiency and renewable energy mix by 2030.

    “Furthermore, the Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Programme in Ogoniland, to recover the carbon sink potential of the mangrove ecosystem of the one thousand square kilometers (1,000 KM2) polluted site in the affected area.

    “Finally, permit me to add that the forty million citizens in the Lake Chad area expect this Summit to take into consideration their concerns. They anticipate that the outcomes of this meeting would include solutions to address the Climate Change impact in the Lake Chad area.”

    “We believe that the important things for young people of Nigeria to do now should be around holding the government to account on these ‘announcement’ and promises, and ensuring they are fulfilled and delivered in a timely manner.

    “One of the most exciting should be the tree-planting campaign. Ethiopia recently set a world record on that account — perhaps Nigeria’s young people might even be able to pressure the Government into scaling up the ambitions of our own planned tree-planting campaign.

    “Therefore the online hysteria is completely unnecessary.” it stated