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  • IPMAN, NUPENG assures of products availability

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), have urged Nigerians to stop panicking over fuel scarcity as there is sufficient product.

    The duo said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos against the backdrop of the ongoing fuel scarcity in the country.

    The association confirmed that about six vessels of imported petrol ordered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were currently discharging the product, assuring that the corporation has sufficient products.

    Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, the National President of IPMAN, told NAN that there was no need for panicking over fuel scarcity, as virtually all the NNPC depots across the states had commence loading of petroleum product by marketers.

    ‘’Marketers are currently loading petrol in Makurdi, Kano, Enugu, Aba,Yola, Suleja, Kaduna, Ejigbo, Mosinmi, Ibadan and other depots across the country.

    ‘’The shortfall in distribution was due to slow pace of product importation and hitches at the jetty which had been addressed.

    ‘’But the Federal Government is on top of the situation, there is enough of petrol to go round. I have also instructed all our members to ensure adequate distribution of the product across the country.

    “I have also directed them to ensure product is sold at official price of N145 per litre. If there is any issues on distribution and pricing differentials, members should call the secretariat for further action.

    ‘’The Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) template has not changed, so, no marketer should influence hike or sell above official price,’’ he said.

    Okoronkwo reaffirmed the commitment of the association toward supporting the Federal Government’s efforts on effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products across the country.

    He stressed further that IPMAN had so far reached an agreement with other marketers for better synergy in making the product available in the country.

    “IPMAN which controls 80 per cent outlets, has more advantage in distributing and dispensing in both urban and hinterlands in the country.

    “In line with the Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring efficient petroleum products distribution across the country, IPMAN members have opted for a seamless distribution of petroleum products,’’ he said.

    He noted that such synergy amongst members with the Federal Government, would present a common front that would advance the interest of the group and ensure smooth distribution of the products across the country.

    Mr Tayo Aboyeji, Chairman, Lagos Zone of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), also colloborated the IPMAN’s president, saying “there is enough fuel, Nigerians should avoid panic buying’’.

    Aboyeji said that “there is fuel and it is available, as I am talking to you now, some of the depots have received the products and are already loading.

    “What is happening was panic buying, people think there might be price increase from government or removal of subsidy.

    “But nothing of such, government has assured us that no increase in petrol pricing for now, so, Nigerians and marketers should avoid being panic over fuel scarcity.

    READ ALSO: NUPENG urges Nigerians to stop panic buying of fuel

    “I urge Nigerians and motorists to avoid storing of petrol at home because it’s dangerous for us, fuel is available, I have visited some depots and I can confirmed to you that loading is going on.

    ‘’As at Friday, we have instructed our tanker drivers to engage in 24-hours loading activities and lift products from depots to filling stations across the country.

    “We will ensure 24-hours service delivery of product distribution in the country, we also urge government to checkmate activities of the task force in Lagos and along Ibadan expressway.

    “Our members are being extorted and harassed by members of the task force. Some drivers who were scheduled to load in Lagos were denied asses to Lagos, which also affects effective distribution of products,’’ he said.

    Alhaji Debo Ahmed, the Chairman, Western Zone of IPMAN, however attributed the ongoing queues at some stations was due to shortfall in NNPC distribution network to depots.

    Ahmed said that all depots within the South-West zone were loading at a low pace due to insufficient products.

    “We have lots of pending tickets from marketers awaiting loading at depots but were still stranded.

    Also, Alhaji Ayo Alanamu, the Chairman, IPMAN Ejigbo Satellite depot, attributed the challenges to shortfall of the product from NNPC.

    Alanamu said that marketers, IPMAN and NNPC retails battled with 40-trucks on daily basis which was not sufficient.

    He urged government to expedite action toward importing more products to avoid another round of scarcity that had ended.

    He noted that depot owners were also contributing to the scarcity due to the hike in pricing.

    NAN recalls that on April 12, NNPC said trending social media report of an impending fuel scarcity due to purported refusal by some oil marketers to lift products from depots was false.

  • AFCON 2019: Ex- International, Adepoju optimistic of Super Eagles chances

    Former Super Eagles midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju has expressed optimism on the Super Eagles doing very well in the forth coming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt in June.

    The ex-international disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, while reacting to the AFCON draws which took place Friday night in Cairo.

    NAN reports that the Super Eagles are drawn in Group B with Guinea, Madagascar and Burundi, a group analysts have described as relatively easy.

    Adepoju, however, stressed that the Super Eagles would need to prepare well and play as a team to go far in the competition.

    READ ALSO: AFCON 2019: It won’t be easy for us, says Rohr, Musa

    “Yes on paper we have a relatively easy group, but the boys will have to step up their game and play as a team to go far in tournament,

    “I am optimistic we can do well at tournament if we put our acts together, ” he said.

    The former Real Sociedad of Spain midfielder advised Coach Gernot Rohr to start preparations for the tournament early and ensure only fit and committed players were selected.

    Adepoju who was part of the AFCON wining Super Eagles team in 1994 in Tunisia also called on Nigerians to support the team.

    NAN reports that the 32nd edition of AFCON with its expanded 24-team format will take place in Egypt from June 21 to July 19.

  • VC Abuja varsity tasks students on creativity

    Prof. Michael Adikwu, Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja, has urged newly matriculated students of the institution to learn to be creative.

    Adikwu, who gave the advice during the 2018/2019 matriculation ceremony held on Saturday at the institution, said creativity would help the students to explore areas with potentials in their field of study.

    Represented by Prof. Ekundayo Stephen, Provost College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Adikwu said creativity would also help to create jobs for others.

    He congratulated the students and also advised them against practices like drug misuse, drug abuse, cultism, examination malpractice, truancy and extremism in religious or partisan politics.

    READ ALSO: UniAbuja a mockery of university system – Panel

    According to him, there are good religious and social groups registered with the Students Affairs Division which you can always join.

    “There are rules and regulations in the university, which you must abide by and are contained in the students’ handbook.

    “You can see that the chair of this ceremony is your Dean. Don’t be afraid to approach them when in difficulty,” he added.

    Adikwu further said that the university management was doing its best to overcome some of its problems like shortage of hostel accommodation,

    He appealed for cooperation, understanding and perseverance from the students, especially with the institution undergoing the process of rebuilding and repositioning.

  • African journalists converged on Cairo for training

    Journalists from 17 African countries including Nigeria, have converged in Cairo, Egypt for the 53rd training course for Young African Journalists.

    The three-week training is organised by the Union of Africa Journalists (UAJ), in collaboration with the Egypt’s ministry of information.

    Mr. Mahfouz Al Ansari, the president of the UAJ, said that the aim of the training is to enhance the skills of African journalists and to promote Africa and bring the challenges faced by it to the fore.

    Ansari, represented by Amb. Ahmed Haggag, a member of the High Council of Information, pointed that it was imperative that African journalists synergise and work to ensure that the continent gets to its zenith.

    READ ALSO: Khashoggi’s murder sparks calls for safety of journalists

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the topics to be covered include “The Role of translation and press to enhance cultural dialogue, Publicity influence on press and media in Africa’’ and “The development of hydraulic resources in Africa.’’

    Similarly, the trainees would be schooled on Peace and Security in Africa, Tools of external policy: Press and Media as models and the Autonomisation of women in Africa.

    The journalists are also slated to visit some tourist sites such as Egyptian museum, Alexandria city, the Pyramids and Sphynx among others.

    NAN reports that journalists from , Ghana, Chad, Cameroon, Togo, Morocco, Algeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Egypt are attending the programme.

    NAN further reports that 4000 journalists have benefited from the fellowship, since it commenced in 1992.

  • FRSC pledges to reduce traffic crashes on highway

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayelsa Command, has reiterated its commitment to reduce traffic crashes in the state, urging drivers to desist from speeding and alcoholism on the wheels.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Ikechukwu Igwe made the call on Saturday in Yenagoa during the closing session of the Corp’s 2019 Quarterly Healthy Week.

    Igwe stated that the week-long programme tagged: “Good Sight, Essential for Safe Motoring and Accident Reduction,” was to help drivers in Bayelsa know their health status and thereby promote safer roads.

    “The programme is our own initiative and we intend to make it a quarterly event for drivers in the state.

    “This is part of our efforts to ensure that road crashes are reduced on the highway because, it is dangerous to be on the road as driver, when you have bad eye sight and High Blood Pressure.

    “We have given them some medical assistant including eye check up, especially on glaucoma screening and Hepatitis B test.

    “I believe we have made a good start; a hitch free exercise and so much of the drivers have benefited; some with serious cases have been referred to specialist hospital,” he said.

    READ ALSO: Overloading: FRSC goes tough on offenders

    Dr Uzoegbo Okechukwu, Optometrist from Optometry Department in the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, said good eye sight could aid good driving.

    He said that a driver could not be safe in the road with poor sight and other related illness like Hepatitis B.

    “There is need for glaucoma screening for drivers to enable them have good eye sight in order to reduce accident on the roads,” the doctor explained.

    Mr Okoafor Jones, Chairman of Welfare and Association of Protection Human Right for Drivers/Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), Bayelsa, lauded FRSC on the medical outreach.

    Jones, who urged the corps to make the programme a continuous exercise for drivers, said his members were ready to support all policies towards having safer road.

    The programme started on Tuesday.

  • NIS issues 6,097 passports in Edo

    The Edo Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) said it issued 6,097 international passports to applicants in the first quarter of 2019.

    The Comptroller of NIS in the state, Mr Kayode Eniolorunda, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Saturday.

    Eniolorunda added that the command also issued 275 ECOWAS Travel Certificates and 12 Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) within the period.

    According to the comptroller, the command recorded one Regularisation of Stay and Regularisation of Migration with four arrivals and four departures in the quarter.

    He told NAN that the command had continued to witness tremendous growth and improvement in its responsibilities with direct bearing on the citizens of the state.

    READ ALSO: Dokpesi in face-off with Immigration over passport

    He stated that at the moment, it takes only 48 hours to process and produce international passports.

    According to him, this has led to a significant improvement in passport application.

    Eniolorunda added that the fight against Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants (SoM) had excelled due to the effective collaboration of the command’s irregular migration section and other stakeholders.

    He said that the command had observed the presence of unskilled artisans in some strategic areas within the state capital, especially around the various by-passes leading in and out of the state capital.

    He explained that the command was currently working closely with the Edo Government to redress the situation before it became a menace.

  • Hunger, injustice major causes of insecurity in Nigeria — NIREC

    The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) on Saturday in Abuja identified hunger and injustice as major causes of insecurity and high level corruption in the country.

    The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, made this known while delivering a Keynote Address at a One-Day National Discourse on Corruption, Insecurity and Challenges of National Cohesion in Nigeria: Building Synergy Across Faiths.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the national discourse was organised by Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN).

    According to him, hunger is a product of injustice in the distribution of resources.

    He said that injustice in Nigeria had taken a ‘structural’ form of conflict and violence.

    “The major cause of violence in Nigeria is not religion even though, some of our leaders have politically raped the society and blinded their victims with the garment of religion.

    “We must deliver religion from this abuse. The reality is that hunger is one of the strong dividers in human existence while abundant food is a strong connector.

    “Hunger has turned some people to slaves, thugs and hero worshippers. Even the devil knows the danger of hunger and how food can make some people worship the creatures in preference to the creator,” he said.

    According to him, greed for power and governance has made politics appear like a very serious divider at all levels of human existence in the country.

    “This has made politics a double edge sword that can even penetrate the unity that exists in religion and traditional institutions,” he said.

    READ ALSO: Ambode advises religious leaders to promote peace

    Omonokhua stressed the need for synergy between Christians and Muslims toward nation-building, saying that corruption could be eliminated if only Muslims and Christians would remain faithful to the teachings of their faiths.

    He also urged Muslims and Christians to promote peace and unity, stressing that youths and students should make courageous efforts to shun violence and embrace peace.

    The National Amir of MSSN, Dr Taofeeq Yekinni, said that the national discourse was conceived to awaken consciousness of Nigerians to the shared moral standards among adherents of the two major religions in the country.

    According to Yekinni, none of the two religions condone or encourage corruption and perpetration of violence and terrorism.

    He said: “It is important that the people come together to restate the facts of common morality and agree to work together with the moral codes so that the impact of the activities of few bad ones among us may not outshine our standard character.”

  • C/River to fast-track attainment of universal health coverage

    Cross River State Commissioner of Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, has called on stakeholders to articulate concept notes that would fast-track the Ministry’s drive to attaining universal health coverage in the state.

    Asibong made the call at a five-day training workshop by the Cross River State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Population Council, World Health Organization and the Center for Human Resources for Health Management Training, University of Calabar on Human Resources for Health (HRH) for health resource managers from the ministry and stakeholder stakeholders in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State.

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Joseph Adim Bassey, the Commissioner said there are available opportunities to be explored that could address issues of sustainability.

    She said the training had opened their eyes the abundant human resources that have hitherto been untapped.

    The Commissioner said the Ministry of Health is ready to collaborate with the University of Calabar and the Center for Human Resources for Health Management Training (Center for Excellence) to address needs in other health related issues.

    READ ALSO: Farmers drag Cross River government to court over Boki oil palm estate

    The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Zana I. Akpagu, said human resource managers need to be vocal and active within the health community, and therefore, require training and re- training.

    The Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Prof. Idongesit Akpabio, charged participants that the workshop should not end in work planning alone, but also work towards implementation.

    The Country Representative of Population Council in Nigeria, Dr. Sylvia Adebajo, expressed gratitude to the Global Affairs Canada for supporting Population Council in terms of capacity building in Human Resource for Health Managers.

    Speaking through Mr. Godwin Unumeri, he also thanked the Cross River State Government’s commitment to accelerated Health Care delivery in the State.

  • Monarch to Police: Don’t be quick to release arrested bandits

    The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulminu kabir Usman has warned the Nigerian Police Force against quick release of arrested bandits and kidnappers, without proper integration to ascertain the degree of their culpability.

    The monarch also urged the police to remain impartial and ensure that justice is done without discriminating or respecting the caliber of the suspect, as the force embarks on war against bandits and kidnappers in the North West.

    The Emir who made the call while receiving Acting Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar in his palace, also decried a situation where a criminal is arrested and handed over to the Police only to be found walking freely on the streets the next day probably because of his connection or position in the society.

    READ ALSO: Buhari to security chiefs: be ruthless with bandits

    He said: “I am happy that you are facing this challenge following your appointment at this time, while praying for the success of you and your men in the war against banditry and kidnapping in the zone I am urging you to ensure justice and punish the culprit. do not spare any one no matter how highly placed .You are asking for our cooperation in providing you with information, please act promptly on any report made and  ensure justice, such will encourage the people and build confidence between you and them’’

    “I spoke to President Buhari and asked him to increase the salary of the police and I am happy he heeded nu request, now I am appealing to him to equip the Police so that they can do a good Job in ensuring security in the North West.”

    Responding, the IGP said the deployment of a special security squad in parts of the state especially the 8 Local government bordering Zamfara state was in compliance with a Presidential directive, and assured of the determination of the force to succeed in the task ahead while appreciating the anticipated cooperation of the traditional ruler and the host communities.

    He assured the emir that the force will remain firm and just in the discharge of the assignment.

  • NOUN unveils Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for African studies

    The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has unveiled its newly redesigned Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for African Studies (OOCAS).

    Mr Ibrahim Sheme, Director, Media and Publicity, NOUN, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.

    Sheme said during the unveiling, the Vice-Chancellor, NOUN, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, said the institution would continue to make efforts at ensuring that it remained among the topmost educational institutions engaged in cutting-edge research.

    Adamu said the centre, formerly known as the Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for Good Governance, was redesigned to widen its scope to meet with happenings in the contemporary society.

    He added that it was also  redesigned  with a view to creating more avenues to research more on Africa as a whole.

    READ ALSO: NOUN gets new Deputy Vice-Chancellor

    Adamu said the centre was open to collaboration with local and international scholars willing to dissect Africa, towards the goal of producing cutting-edge research that would showcase the African story.

    Prof. Stanley  Ngoa, Director, OOCAS, revealed that the centre had  already swung into action, with various collaborations with research bodies within and outside the country.

    Ngoa said the key areas of focus for the OOCAS included African Leadership and Development, Food Security and Agricultural Research, Health in Rural Nigeria; Infant and Maternal Mortality, among others.

    He said those involved in the centre included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom the centre was named after;  veteran journalist, Mr. Ray Ekpu and a former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman.

    Others are Professor Baz Dreisinger, the founder of the Prison to College Pipeline in the United States, Prof. Toyin Falola, a reputable authority on African Studies, as well as other reputable scholars in different fields of endeavour.

    According to Ngoa, a website for the centre will soon be launched.