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  • Ex-militants lied against Brambaifa, say stakeholders

    Some Niger Delta stakeholders have lampooned a group of ex-militants under the auspices of the Niger Delta Ex-agitators Leaders Forum (NDEL) for attacking the acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambaifa.

    The stakeholders, who defended Brambaifa under the aegis of Coalition of Niger Deltans for Justice and Development (CONDJUD), described as unfounded, fabricated and concocted the allegations leaders of NDEL relied upon to ask President Muhammadu Buhari not to confirm the appointment of Brambaifa 

    The Secretary-General, CONDJUD, Elder Christopher Abarowei, said it was not tenable for some disgruntled ex-militants to attack Braimbaifa and his office because of a water hyacinth project.

    “Their call on President Muhammadu Buhari to shelve plans to confirming Prof. Nelson Brambaifa as substantive Managing Director of the NDDC should, therefore, be disregarded”, he said.

    Abarowei said the anti-Brambaifa group consisted of a few selfish and myopic persons, who could not make the list of thousands of Niger Deltans from across Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo and Abia states that benefitted from the last water Hyacinth projects  

    He said: “No genuine group in the Niger Delta including to the so-called self acclaimed leaders of Niger Delta Ex-agitators would claim ignorance of the fact that since his appointment as the acting MD of the commission, Brambaifa has coordinated well the activities of NDDC and done more in the area of youth empowerment and resolving several issues unattended to by his predecessors. 

    “Therefore’ the ex-militant leaders, if they are real should be thankful to the acting MD for being able to resolve issues surrounding the water hyacinth project neglected by previous administrations of the commission.

    “The faceless coordinator, his one-man group, and their sponsors strayed and showed selfishness when it said Brambaifa refused to pay for water hyacinth projects and to meet with them to discuss kilometer road jobs. 

    “The principle of youth empowerment is to stop restiveness in the Niger Delta and in line with the objective of the commission but not to serve few elements with selfish motives.

    “No amount of treat, intimidation or harassment by any group, we are sure, would move Brambaifa and his vision-conscious colleagues to yield to selfish demands as the acting MD will neither snub nor neglect any genuine group with genuine case for empowerment. 

    “We call on all well-meaning elders and leaders from the region to reach out and give the best of support to the acting MD and his hardworking team to achieve the objectives and purpose for which they are appointed.

    “Professor Brambaifa, a prudent manager of funds, unlike most public office holders do not play politics with development and enhancement of the condition of the people of the region. 

    “No Niger Deltan is more fit for the position of Managing Director of NDDC and Mr. President should therefore in the shortest possible time confirm the appointment of Prof Nelson Brambaifa in the interest of the development of the entire Niger Delta region”.

  • ExxonMobil, other oil coys not exiting Nigeria – Kachikwu

    Dr Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resource says that no International Oil Company (ICO) is planning to exit  Nigeria contrary to reports in some section of the media.

    Kachikwu made this known while briefing newsmen after facility tour of ExxonMobil Erha Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSO) in Lagos on Sunday.

    FPSO unit is a floating vessel used by the Offshore oil and gas industry  for the production and processing of hydrocarbons for the storage of oil.

    Erha FPSO has a liquid storage capacity of 2.2 million barrel, making it one of its biggest kind in the world. The Erha field and Erha North satellite field, was completed in 2006.

    The fields are located approximately 97km offshore Nigeria in water depths ranging from 1,000m to 1,200m. They were developed with an investment of 3.5 billion dollars.

    He said that it was not possible for a company like ExxonMobil to sell off its assets for the small amount quoted in the report as its assets were much more worth than that.

    “I have confirmed that it is not true, there are going to be here for a long stay, they will be here over the next 50 years, they are looking for more, they are doing all kinds of things, they just begun the exploration campaign first time in four years because of the new cash call policies we put in place.

    “ That is not a sign of somebody who is exiting. But different from not exiting is to be aggressive. ExxonMobil needs to be more aggressive in terms of development policies,’’ he said

    He added that ExxonMobil need to be more aggressive with business as Bonga South west was almost on FID, Egina just kicked off and AGip is  struggling to get Zabzaba online.

    “ So, I need to see a very robust development ,’’ he advised

    Commenting on the aim of his visit, he said that it was to encourage the company and see the development programmes as well as share in the challenges they were experiencing in their operations.

    “First is to draw attention to the very complex and complication of operations of FPSOs when we do production off shore.

    “This is about 100 km from Land, and part of the thing I am doing this month is visiting some of them. Including Egina that is just recently buoyed in different location and the one of Agip.

    “I am here to look at what they are doing, to encourage them to continue the fantastic work they are doing and also discuss with them what their problems are,’’ he said

    According to him, the visit is also to draw attention nationally and internationally to the few challenges in operations as complicated as this one.

    He urged the company to brace up to the challenges in the sector as oil had recently been found in many African countries.

    Read also: Kachikwu challenges ExxonMobil, others on gas commercialization policy

    Earlier, Mr Richard Laing, ExxonMobil Executive Director, Production commended the minister for  making out time to visit the facility and reiterated that the company had no plans to exit Nigeria.

    “We are happy with Nigeria, We have our differences, we don’t agree on everything, we are happy and content. We are delighted over the minister’s visit and we are happy that he has come back to his spiritual home.

    “As the minister said, the corporation has been here for many years, we intend to stay, we have ambitious growth programmes to build wealth and grow business to make more profit, key into the gas commercialisation project.

    “ We fully support what the minister said and we look forward to working with him,’’ he said .

    Laing said that the company was being faced with the challenges of competition for capital and expertise in running the business. (NAN)

  • Sokoto chapter passes Vote of no Confidence on APC National Vice Chairman

    The Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress  (APC), in Sokoto state and party Chairmen across the 23LGs of the state as well all the state and National Assembly elected APC members unanimously passed a vote of no confidence against the party’s Northwest National Vice Chairman, Barrister Inuwa Abdulkadir.

    The decision was sequel to the sustained and flagrant anti-party activities by the party official.

    However, the State Executive Committee reached the decision at a meeting of the party which was also attended by the Chairmen of the party in all the twenty-three local governments of the state.

    Accordingly, the party said it regretted that, Abdulkadir has consistently and continued to romance and openly work for the opposition party, rather than his supposed party, the  APC.

    The party’s stand contained in a statement issued by the state Publicity Secretary,  Sambo Bello Danchadi said leaders of the party have therefore called on the National Leadership of the APC, to urgently do the needful, take all the necessary steps to remove Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir from office.

    Meanwhile, the state chapter of the party has passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum and Coordinator,  North West,  Presidential Campaign Council,  Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.

    This was brought to the fore at a courtesy call on Senator Wamakko, following a meeting of the State Executive Committee, the local Governments Party Chairmen and all elected Party representatives at Federal and State legislatures.

    Speaking during the epoch-making visit, the Sokoto State APC Chairman, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida,  Turakin Achida, disclosed that,  the entire party machinery in the state was satisfied with the leadership style, commitment and foresight of Senator Wamakko in championing the cause of the APC and Sokoto State.

    In his response, Senator Wamakko, who represents Sokoto North Senatorial District thanked the party leadership for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to uphold their trust.

    He thanked the entire party supporters in the state for their patience, even in the face of theft of the party’s mandate, he assured them that justice will surely prevail as APC will soon reclaim its governorship and legislative seats were unjustly taken away.

    In a related development, the party has chided the Sokoto State Government and the Peoples Democratic Party  ( PDP), on the ongoing acts of intimidation against civil servants perceived to be loyal to the APC.

    The party decried that, the ongoing arbitrary and punitive postings of such workers were majorly intended to settle political goals, rather than furthering service delivery, as well as taking Sokoto State to the NEXT LEVEL.

  • We have sufficient fuel, Kachikwu assures Nigerians

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu on Sunday assured Nigerians that there is sufficient  Premium Motor Spirit  (PMS), also known as fuel in the country.

    Kachikwu in an Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the country had gone past the era of fuel scarcity and urged motorists to desist from panic buying.

    “I can say that there shouldn’t be any reason for fuel scarcity, we have gone past the era of fuel scarcity.

    “ NNPC informed me when I made inquires that they imported enough.

    “Yesterday, I saw a few pockets of scarcity in Abuja, but I was told that it was Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) related distribution issues, and it will be sorted out as soon as possible..

    “So, it is not an issue of lack of sufficiency, I am told they have about 28 day’s sufficiency, two weeks ago, they presently have between 14 and 15 days product sufficiency,’’ he said.

    Read also: Kachikwu challenges ExxonMobil, others on gas commercialization policy

    The minister noted that the 28 days sufficiency was okay based on 50 million litres daily utilisation in the country.

    “ I don’t expect to see a scarcity, I just expect them to work hard over the next few days to deal with whatever logistic issue they have. I will be working with NNPC on that,’’ he added

    On queues building up in some filling stations in Lagos and Abuja, he maintained that the country was wet enough to serve the needs of motorists.

    “ I haven’t visited Lagos cities, but the information I have is that there is enough product on ground and we should be able to deal with whatever it is.

    “The problem with fuel scarcity is that if you allow it to last for three days , then it  builds up a life of its own.

    “That is what I have enforced NNPC to do to make sure that it is resolved,’’ he said.

    Kachikwu noted that it would had been  a major issue  for the country if there was insufficient product on ground  but assured that NNPC would be able to resolve whatever the situation was in a few days.

    A check by NAN on Sunday in Abuja, revealed that there were no queues in most filling stations along Airport road and Kubwa expressway.

    NAN reports that at NNPC outlet, Conoil and NIPPCO filling stations along airport road, motorists were buying fuel with ease, except at the NNPC mega station at the Central business district, which a short queue.

    A taxi driver, Johnson Adio said “this is not a serious queue, I spent just 20 minutes before buying, it is normal with this station because a lot of people like buying from them.

    “It was on Friday that we had a little problem, but it is okay now,” he said.

    Also, along the Kubwa Expressway, there was no queue at AA Rano filling station, Shema, Mobil and NNPC stations.

    NAN also reports that only few filling stations like DAN oil along the airport and the Kubwa expressway were closed.(NAN)

  • Police kill nine suspected kidnappers on Abuja-kaduna road

    Nine suspected kidnappers who operate on Abuja-kaduna expressway have been killed by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.

    The Police said the suspects were killed during a serious exchange of gunfire encounter, between the police operatives and a heavily armed notorious criminal gang at a forest, while two escaped with gunshot wounds.

    One operative of the Force also sustained gunshot wound during the operation.

    Recovered from the suspects are; six Ak47 rifles, one pump action gun, 1,206 rounds of Ak47 ammunition, seven magazines, 28 cartridges and 158 expended shells.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba.

    Read also: Police confirm two Delta suspected robbers dead

    The statement reads: “The unrelenting efforts to root-out criminal elements terrorizing commuters along Abuja – kaduna expressway recorded additional successes on 10th April, 2019, with the recovery of six Ak47 Rifles, one Pump Action Gun, 1,206 rounds of Ak47 Ammunition, Seven Magazines, 28 cartridges and 158 expended shells by Police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder deployed to the area.

    “The recovery followed a serious exchange of gunfire encounter, between the police operatives and a  heavily armed notorious criminal gang at the Akilbu Forest, off Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, which resulted in the death of nine members of the gang while two escaped with gunshot wounds.

    “One of the police operatives, however, sustained gunshot wound and he is presently receiving treatment in a hospital. Effort is being intensified to arrest the fleeing members of the gang.”

    While expressing satisfaction with the successes recorded so far in the fight against kidnapping and other heinous crimes across the country, the Inspector General Police, Ag. IGP Mohammed Adamu reiterated his call for support by the public to the Police and other sister agencies, as he assured that the war against armed bandits will soon be won.

  • PDP plotting secret voting to take over 9th National Assembly, APC senators-elect allege

    Some All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators-elect are suspecting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting a secret ballot voting system to hijack the leadership of the National Assembly.

    APC senators-elect, who pleaded anonymity, said the PDP was perfecting this plot ahead of the inauguration of the 9th session in June.

    There is disquiet in PDP itself as interest groups root for different candidates as the next minority leader of the Red Chamber.

    Three candidates are already in contention for the position. They are the current deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) and Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central).

    An APC senator-elect accused the PDP of “already laying political landmines in the path of APC” with a view to having the legislative gavel by proxy.

    The source said: “While the opposition party cannot reinvent the wheel in terms of the colouration of the legislature during the 9th session of National Assembly, it is trying to foist on the winning party, the Senate in particular, APC candidates that would do its bidding, using the Rule Book of National Assembly to achieve it.

    “In implementing the plan, members of the opposition, with a large war chest made available by those being investigated by anti-corruption agencies, are ready to infiltrate National Assembly bureaucracy to perfect their plan.”

    A ranking APC Senator said: “PDP is using their chieftains. They will begin the implementation of the two-pronged plan by engaging the top echelon of National Assembly bureaucracy and some APC Senators-elect for their buy-in on the need to continue the use of the forged 2015 Rule Book, especially its secret ballot provision, which paved the way for the emergence of the current Senate President, Bukola Saraki against the directives of his then party-APC

    “You know the former Clerk of the Senate allowed the forged Rule Book to be used during the inauguration of the 8th Senate as he capitalised on the absence of APC Senators in the red chamber and to complicate the situation Senator Saraki insisted on using the forged book after he was sworn in as the Senate President.

    “Remember that secret voting provision was smuggled into the forged Rule Book used for the 2015 elections despite our protest because secret voting is alien to parliamentary practices. When it comes to voting in the parliaments worldwide, open voting is used.

    “What is now expected of the current Clerk of the National Assembly is not to use the forged book for the inauguration of the 9th Session of the Senate, come June this year.

    “What happened in 2015 inauguration will not repeat itself because we shall all be present during this year’s inauguration and we shall not allow the forged Rule Book to be used. We will insist on open voting as practised in all parliaments in the world and the National Assembly bureaucracy has already been put on notice.”

    A senator-elect explained: “We underrated the capacity of PDP to go to any length to achieve its aims and objectives during 2015 elections of presiding officers of the National Assembly while we were totally naïve about the crucial role of the bureaucracy in the scheme of things in the legislature, a situation that turned the table in favour of the opposition despite being in the minority. We are aware of their political manoeuvres and ready to expose sources of funds for their National Assembly intervention.”

    Ekweremadu, Melaye in contention for minority leader

    Three Senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are leading the race for the Minority Leader position in the forthcoming 9th session of the Senate, according to feelers from the party.

    Topping the list is the outgoing Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

    Also in contention are Senator Dino Melaye  (Kogi West) and Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central).

    Rooting for each of them are diverse groups in the PDP.

    Sources told The Nation that while the party leadership appears to be heavily in favour of Ekweremadu emerging as minority leader in view of his vast experience, some other groups in the party have different ideas on who should occupy the position.

    The party leadership’s decision, it was gathered, may not be unconnected with the desire for a strong personality to lead the PDP in the next dispensation, as part of a larger plan to hijack the leadership of the National Assembly at an appropriate time.

    A party chieftain from the Southeast said the PDP believes Ekweremadu has the ability to keep the APC on its toes.

    “The PDP plans to give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) serious opposition in the next dispensation,” the party chieftain said.

    “We want to prove that we have what it takes to be taken serious as a real alternative to the APC by Nigerians. We can only do these when we live up to the people’s expectation from an opposition party, especially in the national assembly.

    “To this end, we have considered that the current leadership of our party in the Senate, as represented by the highest ranking senator there, Senator Ekweremadu, be retained in the 9th assembly. We are sure that if he remains the leader of the PDP senators, the APC will be kept on its toes until we take over the assembly.”

    Another party leader said Ekweremadu “solidly fits the bill. We need a man like him to stand up to the APC senators.”

    But PDP stakeholders in the Southwest and the Northcentral are projecting other senators for the plum opposition job.

    One source said: “it is incorrect to say there is any crisis in the PDP over this issue.

    “Yes, people are suggesting various opinions as regards who should be the Minority Leader even when the party’s national leadership is advocating a particular direction for obvious reasons.

    “But other opinions are welcome and that should not be interpreted to mean there is a crisis.”

    Some interest groups in the Southwest recently cautioned the PDP leadership against taking the position of Minority Leader away from the zone.

    The Southwest PDP Frontiers (SWPF), led by Asipa Iyanda Adeoye Ogunfojuri, in a statement by him and  Ameen Adekanye  warned the party against  repeating  the alleged  ill-treatment meted out to  the zone during the struggle for the position of national chairman.

    “We are speaking out early enough to avoid being told that we kept mute when it mattered, for that was what we were told after the Southwest was disgraced out of the PDP national chairmanship race,” they said.

    “The position of Minority Leader in the senate is currently being held by the Southwest, and since nothing has changed as regards the zoning at the national level, it shouldn’t be taken away from us.

    “It is worrisome to see that the body language of many of our leaders suggests the possibility of the position being used to compensate another zone for whatever reason.

    “The Southwest will no longer agree to be sacrificed within the opposition party, more so when we have eminently qualified persons that can serve in the said capacity.”

    The Nation also gathered that some PDP stakeholders from the Northcentral recently met leaders of the party in the zone and expressed their desire to have Senator Dino Melaye supported to lead the PDP caucus in the senate.

    According to sources, the stakeholders pleaded with the leaders against supporting any arrangement that denies the zone a chance to produce the next Minority Leader of the Red Chamber.

    “The Northcentral too is pushing for Dino Melaye. In their opinion, the Kogi West senator is eminently qualified and equipped to lead other PDP senators. They also argued that since the zone will be losing the senate presidency currently held by Senator Bukola Saraki, it is just proper that it be compensated with the Minority Leadership in the interest of equity,” our source added.

    When the 9th assembly is convened, the Southeast PDP will have at least 11 Senators having lost one seat each in Anambra, Abia and Imo states. One other seat in Imo is still in contention.

    The Southsouth PDP will have about 15 senators following the loss of one seat each too in Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states. Party sources said the majority of the senators from the two zones may support the party’s choice.

    The Southwest boasts of only three PDP senators-elect.

    The party got a senate seat each in Ondo, Oyo and Osun states during the last national assembly elections. Dr. Kola Balogun was elected to represent Oyo South while Chief Francis Fadahunsi will be representing Osun East. Both are first timers.

    Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo central) is returning for a second term.

     

     

    He was first elected in 2011, but lost his re-election bid in 2015. He is a ranking senator and sources say he is the candidate of many Southwest PDP leaders and chieftains for the position of Senate Minority Leader in the next dispensation.

    “He is the man they want as replacement for current Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi, who will not be returning to the senate,” said a party source.

    The Northcentral will have about five senators in the next dispensation as it could only manage to add a seat each from Kogi and Plateau states to the clean sweep it got in Benue State. The surprise loss of all the three senatorial seats in Kwara, including that of Senate President Bukola Saraki, depleted its numerical strength in the Senate.

    Melaye will be the only ranking senator from the zone in the 9th assembly. Senators-elect Gabriel Suswam (Benue northeast), Yisa Orker-Jev (Benue northwest) and Abba Moro (Benue south) are all going to the Senate for the first time.

    Another fresher is Istifanus Dung from Plateau north.

    This perhaps informed the choice of Melaye as the candidate of some major stakeholders in the zone.

     

  • Kachikwu challenges ExxonMobil, others on gas commercialization policy

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu has urged ExxonMobil and other  International Oil Companies operating in Nigeria, to key into the gas commercialization policy of government for gas development in the country.

    Kachikwu gave the advise while fielding question from newsmen after  visiting the ExxonMobil  Erha Floating Production Storage and Offloadingvessels (FPSO) facility in Lagos, On Sunday.

    An FPSO unit is a floating vessel used by the Offshore oil and gas industry for the production and processing of hydrocarbons for the storage of oil.

    Erha FPSO has a liquid storage capacity of 2.2 million barrel, making it one of its biggest kind in the world. the Erha field and Erha North satellite field, was completed in 2006.

    The fields are located approximately 97km offshore Nigeria, in water depths ranging from 1,000m to 1,200m.

    NAN reports that the fields were developed with an investment of 3.5 billion dollars.

    He said that gas would be parallel income stream for the country if everyone key in to implement the gas commercialization policy

    “ There is so much we can do with oil, we are doing that.I like to see oil go up in barrels, up to 3 million barrels but most importantly, I like to see gas begin it life.

    “If you look at the production, a lot of gas is been rejected. And everybody is talking of gas in the country and gas is going to be parallel income stream for the country.

    “ We have talked about it too much, but fiscal terms have to be agree on PSC terms, commercial terms for gas need to be agreed and once we unlock that, the issues of power becomes secondary.

    Read also: Kachikwu: Firms should raise Nigeria’s oil production to 7m bpd

    “ My message here today is, thanks for the fantastic work you are doing but there is a huge amount of work left undone,’’ he said.

    He said that the country had volume and reserves of oil to produce in the next 40 to 50 years but the gas was still lying untapped.

    He said that a lot had been done under the gas commercialization policy adding the LPG deployment had started in the country.

    “But those are just torching the fringes, what is important is coming up with right commercial terms, get that done as rapidly as possible and let everybody who have access to gas to development,’’ he added.

    He said that government had received submission from all oil companies keying into the policy to help exit gas flare.

    “ It is a different thing from dealing with gas development itself.  There are many ways to stop flare, you can inject it and that is what has helped us achieved about 70 per cent factor in gas flare exit but that is not real exit, that is manage exit.

    “For you to exit it, you must have the right commercial terms so that people can produce gas and make it commercial,’’ he said.

    He noted that the need to develop gas for commercial purpose remained the big elephant in the room. (NAN)

  • Three suspects arrested for kidnap of Channels reporter

    The Nigeria Police Force said it has arrested three suspects who were involved in the kidnap of Channels television reporter,  Friday Okeregbe.
    The reporter was kidnapped in Lugbe area of Abuja on 22nd of March while he was trying to park his car.
    Though it is unclear whether the reporter’s family paid ransom before his release but the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N50million for his release.
    The suspects are Hanniel Patrick ‘m’ 29years from Akwa Ibom State, Abdulwahab Isah ‘m’ 28years and Salisu Mohammed ‘M’ 32years both from Kogi State. 
    According to a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba said investigation revealed that Okeregbe was not their target.
    Details of how the arrest was made reads: “In line with the IGP’s stated commitment to curb all forms of crimes and criminality, especially incidences of kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country, Police Operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder, acting on intelligence report, on 9th April, 2019 at about 6:30am arrested three notorious persons involved in the kidnap of Channels Television’s staff, Mr. Friday Okeregbe.

    Read also: My ordeal in kidnappers’ den, by Channels TV reporter

    “The suspects: Hanniel Patrick ‘m’ 29years from Akwa Ibom State, Abdulwahab Isah ‘m’ 28years and Salisu Mohammed ‘M’ 32years both from Kogi State have made useful statement to the Police.
    “Meanwhile, investigation reveals that Mr. Friday Okeregbe was not originally the intended target of the vicious criminals.
    “However, on that fateful day, 22nd March, 2019, at 07:45PM, he was kidnapped when the kidnappers saw him parking his vehicle at a location in Lugbe, Abuja.
    “Investigation further reveals that the victim was taken to the kidnappers’ den somewhere in Karimo, Abuja and kept incommunicado afterwards.”
    Mba also said a locally made revolver gun, three live AK47 ammunitions, a battle axe, phones and masks with which they blindfold their victims were recovered from them.
    The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Mohammed Adamu reassured the general public that the Police and other security agencies are doing everything humanly possible to tame the challenges of kidnapping and other heinous crimes across the country adding that effort is being intensified to arrest other members of the gang still at large.
    He, however, urged members of the public to always avail the Police with useful information that will help in curbing the menace.

  • INEC: Atiku spreading fake election results

    Claims by Alhaji Atiku  Abubakar that he won the February 23 presidential election with 18,356,732 votes are nothing short of an invention, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared.

    The Commission also says it never transmitted results of the presidential election through any server and any figures purportedly obtained thereof are fake.

    It disowns the website, factsdontlie.com, which Atiku alleged before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as the source of the election results he claimed to have won.

    Responding to Atiku’s petition point by point, the commission said that contrary to the claim by the PDP and Abubakar, it owns no server and never transmitted any results through electronic server.

    In the counterclaims seen yesterday by The Nation, INEC said “With particular response to the issue of server and electronic transmission and collation repeatedly referred to by the petitioners, as at date, there is no legal framework in place for electronic voting, transmission and collation of scores or results of the electioneering process.

    “The Smart Card Reader till date was used for authenticating registered voters not for sorting, counting, transmission or collation as these processes are still manually done, given the state of the law.

    “The 1st respondent (INEC) has no server that contains the purported results the petitioners are claiming they got from a purported server.

    “In spite of the scheme at the time, counting, sorting, transmission and collation of votes during the 2019 general elections and the presidential election in particular were all done manually and not electronically.

    “The purported figure of 37,668,305 being bandied  by the petitioners as  the actual number of accredited voters is unknown to the 1st respondent and never existed in its record.”

    It specifically denied the existence of electronic transmission of results as it is unknown to the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of the elections 2019.

    INEC faulted the petitioners’ claim that the results of the election were transmitted electronically.

    Read also: APC’s claim on my birth is ridiculous, pedestrian, says Atiku

    In a witness statement attached to the INEC claims, the commission’s Director,  Information and Communications Technology, Chidi Nwafor denied all the petitioners’  claim about a server and branded it as false  “as I know as a fact that the 2nd respondent (President Muhammadu Buhari) was duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the presidential election and scored at least one-quarter of the lawful votes cast at the election in 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, more than two-third of all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.”

    Witness added:”The petitioners did not win the majority of the lawful votes cast and did not satisfy the mandatory constitutional requirement to be declared winner having polled 11,262,978 and one quarter of all lawful votes cast in 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as against the 2nd respondent who scored 15,191,847 votes cast and one quarter of the lawful votes cast in 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    “The lawful and recognised computation of results is manually done using Electoral Form EC8 series and not the table pleaded by the petitioners given that the said table is not the result collated and declared by the 1st respondent.

    “I know as a fact that the details contained in the table in the paragraph 22 of the petition are inaccurate.

    “I know that mode of transmitting/collating election results is manual, using Forms EC8As, EC8Bs, EC8Cs and EC8Ds and not electronically done.

    “I know that the Manual Technologies 2019 and demonstration videos referred to in paragraph 27 are internal training materials.”

    The commission also said: “Further to the foregoing, the website described as www.factsdontlieng.com was neither created nor owned by the 1st Respondent (INEC). It is a site not known to the 1st Respondent.

    “The 1st Respondent does not share information with such an unclassified entity and any information purportedly derived there from which does not accord with the result as declared by the 1st Respondent is not authentic but rather was invented for the purpose of this case.”

    INEC ‘satisfied’ by Buhari’s academic qualification

    The Commission also said it is satisfied with the academic documents submitted by Buhari for the purpose of the election

    Atiku is claiming in his petition that one of the schools Buhari claimed to have attended could not be traced and that  Buhari claimed to hold a certificate that was not in existence at the time he claimed to have obtained it.

    But INEC said it had no query over  Buhari’s academic documents.

    The Commission said it was “satisfied with the educational qualification presented” by the president to run for the election.

    INEC’s   lawyer, Yunus Ustaz (SAN) brands Atiku’s petition as frivolous, incompetent and/or lacking in merit.

    He prays the tribunal to dismiss the petition.

    It plans to call 83 witnesses in its defence.

     

  • Mobile court convicts 41 motorists in Anambra

    A mobile court conducted by the Anambra Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has convicted 41 motorists for various traffic offences in the state.

    Mr Andrew Kumapayi, state Sector Commander of the corps in the state, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday.

    Kumapayi said the mobile court was part of traffic law enforcement geared toward raising road safety consciousness among motorists ahead of the Easter Special Patrol.

    He said a total of 45 motorists were arrested and prosecuted during the exercise out of which four were acquitted.

    He  said failure to install speed limiting device, non use of seatbelt, tyre violation and light sign violation were the most prevalent offences observed during the exercise.

    “In furtherance to our resolve to ensure safe traffic environment for all road users by ensuring that motorists comply strictly to traffic rules and regulations, a mobile court session was held.

    “This was to prosecute arrested motorists on the spot and penalise those found guilty among them.

    “During the session, 45 motorists were arrested and prosecuted, 41 were found guilty of various offences and four were discharged and acquitted of any wrongdoing.

    “The total number of offences recorded was 109 and failure to install Speed Limiting Device, non use of seatbelt, tyre violation and light sign violation were top on the list of the observed offences ,” the sector commander said.

    He urged motorists in the state to endeavour to fix their vehicles reminding them that safety standard would not be lowered for anybody.

    “We want to use this medium to encourage motorists to ensure their vehicles are in good condition before putting them on the road and to also warn that the violators of safety rules will be subjected to the law,”he said.(NAN)