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Post Date : September 19, 2020

Angry ‘mad’ man kills okada rider in Ebonyi

AN angry ‘mad’ man (name withheld) in the early hours of Saturday, was reported to have killed an Okada Rider, Mr. Elias Ofoke in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Capital. The victim, a father of six children, hails from Agbaja Unuhu in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. He left his family this morning in search of daily bread, only to lose his life in a controversial circumstance. Reports revealed that members of Neighborhood Watch Security Outfit had early this morning tried to arrest the alleged mad man who resisted them. The resistance led to the torturing of the mentally challenged person by some members of the security outfit. After the torture, the victim was abandoned to the surprise of passerby who pleaded with them not to abandon him as such could endanger the lives of others within the environment. Moments of the encounter, an innocent Okada man who dropped his passenger in the area, while trying to move his bike was suddenly beaten to death by the mad man who was yet to recover from the shock of the attack he received from the Neighbourhood Watch Security. The ‘mad’ man out of anger over the torture he received, hit the Okada Rider on the head. This singular action led to the death of the motorcycle operator. Members of Motorcycle Transport Union, Ebonyi State Chapter have been left speechless following the brutal killing of one of their members, Mr. Elias Ofoke, who was killed in the early hours of the day by the ‘mad’ man. The incident occurred around Udensi bridge in Abakaliki. Reacting, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Kpirikpiri Division, SP Chris Anyanwu who confirmed the incident advised members of Okada Union to still nose for background information concerning the incident as the police would carry out an in-depth into the matter. Also, the State Chairman, Motorcycle Transport Union, Ebonyi State Chapter, Comrade Paulinus Atam, who frowned at the tragic incident explained that the Union has never recorded such case since his emergence as the chairman of the Association. He called on the State Government to fish out mad men in Abakaliki metropolis in order to forestall such occurrence in the future, while consoling with the bereaved family and the entire members of the Union. Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, on phone said that he has already been notified of the tragic incident. “We had already called on the police to wade into the matter and ensure that the culprit be brought to book.” The Commissioner also doubted the possibility of the alleged actions of the Neighbourhood Watch Security on the mad man adding that the security outfit who have been working for the safety of the people in the state could not unleash attack on a mad person and abandon such a person to endanger the lives of others on the streets. A Nephew to the deceased, Mr. Opoke Innocent who identified his Late uncle as a married man with six children, called on the State Government to come to the aid of the deceased family as the demise of the victim has created a very big vacuum which needed the intervention of both the State Government and the Okada Union. The corpse of the victim was later deposited to the FETHA 1 Mortuary, Abakaliki, while the wounded ‘mad’ man was taken to the Police Clinic for medical evaluation and attention.

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Post Date : September 19, 2020

FG adds Emirates to list of banned airlines

The federal government has withdrawn the approval granted to Emirates to conduct international flight operations in the country. Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, disclosed this via a post on his Twitter handle on Friday. The ban will take effect on September 21, 2020. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had, in a memo earlier in September, included Emirates in the list of approved airlines for international flights for both Abuja and Lagos airports. But the minister said the decision to reverse the approval was taken after a meeting of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 with European Union ambassadors on Friday. Sirika also said there were discussions on the ban on Lufthansa and Air France-KLM. “The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020,” the minister wrote.

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Post Date : September 19, 2020

36 Governors Drag FG To Court

……Say Executive Order Compelling States To Fund The Judiciary Is Unconstitutional The Executive Governors of the 36 states of the Federation have filed an action against President Buhari before the Supreme Court of Nigeria over the Presidential Executive Order No. 00-10 of 2020 which grants financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary in the 36 states of the federation. The suit signed by Aikhunegbe A. Malik, SAN; and filed on behalf of the 36 states via Originating Summons on 17th September, 2020 by their lawyers: Augustine O. Alegeh, SAN FCIArb [UK]; Babajide Koku, SAN; Solomon Umoh, SAN; Garba Tetengi, SAN; Tawo Eja Tawo SAN; Olaseni Adio SAN; Ekeme Ohvwovoriole, SAN; Paul Harris Ogbole, SAN; Aikhunegbe A. Malik, SAN; Afam Osigwe, Esq., FCIArb. Among others. In the suit which was marked Sc/Cv/655/2020 sighted by TheNigeriaLawyer (TNL), the governors are seeking determination of two questions, namely: whether by sections 6 and 81(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended), read together with Item 21(e) of the Third Schedule thereof, the Federal Government “is not constitutionally obligated and/or charged with the responsibility for funding all capital and recurrent expenditure of the High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal of the States of the Federation of Nigeria, being Courts created under Section 6 of the CFRN.” The Governors also want to know whether by sections 6, 80, 81, 120 and 121 of the Constitution, it is not unlawful for the Presidential Executive Order No. 00-10 of 2020 to compel the Governors to fund State High Courts, States Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal The Governors urged the court to answer the questions in the affirmative and order president Buhari to refund all monies expended by states in funding capital expenditure of the High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal of states being courts established by section 6 of the constitution They are also seeking an order “setting aside the Presidential Executive Order No. 00-10 of 2020 made by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 22nd May, 2020 on the ground that same is in violation of the express provisions of the CFRN and, therefore, unconstitutional.” In an affidavit of 36 paragraphs deposed to by one Chinweoke Onumonu Esq., a lawyer in the Law Firm of A.O. Alegeh & Co., the governors claimed that it is the duty of federal government to fund all the capital and recurrent expenditures of all courts created under section 6 of the constitution, namely, the Supreme Court of Nigeria; the Court of Appeal; the Federal High Court; the National Industrial Court; the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; the High Court of a State; the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; the Sharia Court of Appeal of a State; the Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; and the Customary Court of Appeal of a State. They said since 5th May, 1999, FG has not funded the capital and recurrent expenditure of the High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal of States, apart from paying only the salaries of the judicial officers of the said Courts adding that such burden In addition, the governors said they have been made to not only fund both the capital and recurrent budgets of those courts, but have also been providing housing for judges, cars, training, books etc “That the Defendant has made it a pre-condition for the appointment of Judges and Khadis for State High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal for the Plaintiff States to provide Court Houses, Judges’ residential Quarters and brand-new Cars for the proposed appointees… “That the Plaintiffs have also been compelled by the failure and neglect of the Defendant to fund the recurrent expenditure of the said Plaintiffs States’ Courts by providing for the training, official clothing, Law books, healthcare and overall welfare of the judicial officers serving in the High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal of the Plaintiff States. I know that the Defendant funds all of these matters for only judicial officers in the Federal Courts.” the Affidavit partly reads In a written address in support of the Originating Summons, Aikhunegbe Malik, SAN, argued on behalf of the governors that the provisions of sections 6(5), 81(3) and Item 21(e) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution are plain, simple straightforward and unambiguous and should therefore be given their ordinary grammatical meanings. He cited many decided cases including A.G Kano State v. A.G Federation (2007) 6 NWLR (Pt. 1029) 164, where the Supreme Court, held at page 188 at Paragraph H that: “The Court has a duty to interpret the words contained in the Constitution and any Statute in their ordinary and literal meaning. In other words, it is not the duty of the court to go outside the words used in a statute to import an interpretation which may be or is convenient to the court or to the parties to one of the parties” Malik, SAN, argued further that the Presidential Executive Order is unconstitutional because it seeks to states to fund recurrent and capital expenditure of the State High Courts, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal, which form part of the Courts whose funding is the prerogative of the Federal Government in line with the provisions of Sections 6, 81(3) and Item 21[e] of the Third Schedule to CFRN. He added that sections 80 and 120 of the CFRN provide for the establishment of a Consolidated Revenue Fund for the Federation and States from which the judiciary is paid as provided by sections 81 and 121 “and the draftsmen of the Constitution did not contemplate a situation whereby the Federal Executive would interfere with the authorization of expenditure from the Consolidated Revenue of the State as envisaged in the provisions of the Presidential Executive Order No. 00-10 of 2020.” He

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Post Date : September 19, 2020

Erosion: Fear grips trinity layout residents in Owerri

Residents of Trinity Road Layout and its environs in Owerri North Council of Imo State, under the aegis, Trinity Neighbourhood Association, are living in palpable fear of erosion in the area. Some have been forced to relocate, abandoning their edifices and other structures, while two major churches: St. Philip’s Anglican Church and Trinity Pentecostal Church, are hoping on God’s intervention. Initially, some unaffected residents, a little far from the gully area, were unperturbed, but they became worried and are having sleepless nights as the devastation approaches their buildings. The erosion, which started about 2015 at negligible scale, gradually began to impact on the residents in 2017 and has today culminated in a menace to the point that whenever it rains, the situation worsens, expanding in radius and keeping residents at alert. When The Guardian visited the area, some families had vacated their homes. Occupants of a particular three-bedroom bungalow even left in 2018 when the gully became very deep and the foundation of the edifice in the middle of the gully. Last week, some residents woke up to discover that the only narrow “entry and exit” into their compound had been washed away by the rain the previous night. They were trapped for days and it took the assistance of friends and relations to construct a very long ladder with which one of them, Mr. Emma Ogu, a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, near Owerri, to take the risk, descending and ascending to buy foodstuffs for his family. At a point, it became dangerous that they had to break the fence to enable them to relocate temporarily. According to sources, the disaster was initially caused by uncontrolled floodwater coming from other places in the wake of the Urban Renewal Programme of the then governor of the state, Senator Rochas Okorocha. This is in addition to poorly constructed drainage in the market area at Akwakuma Junction, also in Owerri North Council. Other residents, including occupants of two-storey buildings, no longer park their vehicles in their premises. In fact, they pay for spaces outside their homes and park their vehicles at the close of every work day. Ogu, a former State Senior Correspondent of Champion newspapers, had moved into his bungalow in 2014 before he saw the problem approaching. His car was trapped a few months ago as a result rain in just one day. A few months ago, the erosion began to approach his building, washing away land surface few steps to his home, degenerating to the extent that there was no space to drive in and out. But his wife was lucky, as she probably had a premonition of sort, and decided to park her car outside their home on that dangerous rainy day that devastated them. Other residents close to the Ogu learnt from his experience and decided to park their vehicles at other premises where they pay for parking space on daily or monthly basis. “A little drop from the sky, the entire area, with pressure, will be flooded. It started during the commencement of the Urban Renewal Programme of the then administration of Rochas Okorocha. “Another suspicion is the activities of the sand miners around here, because any time it rains, some portions will cave in. “Unless urgent intervention, the entire neighbourhood will be submerged. The gully will escalate and claim more structures. The major access road has been affected. All the residents now park their vehicles outside their homes, because there is no access road,” Ogu, whose car was trapped, lamented. The residents are not just folding their arms; they have actually raised funds and commenced the erection of remedial stoppers to avoid further encroachment. But on each occasion, rain falls and washes away these remedial structures. Chairman of the Trinity Neighbourhood Association, Chuks Michael Okafor, explained that they had been suffering from the disaster since 2015, pointing at Ogu, who he said had spent over N700, 000 in constructing palliative structures, which also caved in and were washed away by the flood. He said they had written letters to Okorocha administration, the senator representing Imo East, Samuel Anyanwu, and his successor, Ezenwa Onyewuchi, the administration of Emeka Ihedioha and even the current administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma, all to no avail. The Guardian Nigeria Metro Erosion: Fear grips trinity layout residents in Owerri By Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri 19 September 2020 | 4:06 am The erosion site Residents of Trinity Road Layout and its environs in Owerri North Council of Imo State, under the aegis, Trinity Neighbourhood Association, are living in palpable fear of erosion in the area. Some have been forced to relocate, abandoning their edifices and other structures, while two major churches: St. Philip’s Anglican Church and Trinity Pentecostal Church, are hoping on God’s intervention. Initially, some unaffected residents, a little far from the gully area, were unperturbed, but they became worried and are having sleepless nights as the devastation approaches their buildings. The erosion, which started about 2015 at negligible scale, gradually began to impact on the residents in 2017 and has today culminated in a menace to the point that whenever it rains, the situation worsens, expanding in radius and keeping residents at alert. When The Guardian visited the area, some families had vacated their homes. Occupants of a particular three-bedroom bungalow even left in 2018 when the gully became very deep and the foundation of the edifice in the middle of the gully. Last week, some residents woke up to discover that the only narrow “entry and exit” into their compound had been washed away by the rain the previous night. They were trapped for days and it took the assistance of friends and relations to construct a very long ladder with which one of them, Mr. Emma Ogu, a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, near Owerri, to take the risk, descending and ascending to buy foodstuffs for his family. At a point, it became dangerous that they had to break the fence to enable them to relocate

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Post Date : September 19, 2020

Imo law: ACJL 2020: Section 484 did not pass through Imo House of Assembly-Lawmaker

….Says it cannot stand Member representing Mbaitoli in Imo State of house assembly, Rt. Hon Okey Onyekanma said that the controversial ACJL which Gov. Uzodimma’s assented,didn’t passed before the state house of assembly. According to the lawmaker he said that the strange Section 484 which allows suspects to be detained at the pleasure of the governor is unjust and unfair. The statement read in full ,” I want to use this opportunity to inform the good people of Mbaitoli State Constituency and by extension, all Imo people, that I am not privy to the clandestine insertion of some obnoxious, vexatious, and anti-democratic clauses to the Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law Amendment Bill 2020 which was purportedly passed by the Imo State House of Assembly, and signed into law by the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma..” “My position is clear. The strange Section 484 which allows suspects to be detained at the pleasure of the governor is unjust and unfair. It also provides that a person must obtain a license before he or she is released. These stipulations were not in any shape or form part of the draft bill which was enacted by the Imo State House of Assembly, where I am an active and punctual member. The bill stated on “Order” in place other than “Prison or Mental Asylum and not at the pleasure of the Governor”,,”Onyekanma maintained. “The injection of the toxic clauses into the ACJL is the height of absurdity. It intends to create a climate of terror in the state and make Imo a desert of totalitarianism in an oasis of democracy.” “The obnoxious clauses have rendered the so-called law unacceptable. It cannot stand.” “I appeal to everybody to remain calm. As your representative, I have started liaising with other lawmakers who feel equally scandalized by this possible case of forgery to earnestly begin the process of repealing the rogue section which conflicts with democratic ethos. As always, I will continue to reflect and pursue the aspirations of our people. I will not relent from sponsoring, co-sponsoring bills, and tabling motions that aim to improve the lives and wellbeing of our people. Likewise, I will resist and oppose any plot to erode civil liberties and fundamental human rights in our beloved state.”, he concluded.

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Post Date : September 19, 2020

Two Rivers pastors arrested for raping corps member

Police in Rivers State have arrested two pastors for allegedly raping a 27- year old member of the National Youths Service Corps . The corps member is observing her primary assignment at the Obio /Akpor Local Government Area of the state. The pastors , identified as Austin Emmanuel and Peter Davies, are currently being detained at the State Criminal and Investigation and Intelligence Department, Port Harcourt . Emmanuel reportedly invited the victim to his house for an indoor birthday party and in the course of the celebration, he was later joined by Davies . It was gathered that the suspects offered to pray for the victim and in the middle of the prayer , they applied a- yet- to -be-identified liquid on her face which made her unconscious . Speaking with journalists , the corps member said she experienced pains in her private parts after regaining consciousness. She said , “ Actually, it was after I regained consciousness that I was feeling pain in my vagina . I told my mum and she reported to the police and they said that they should take me to doctors without borders for checkup. I found out that I was fingered according to the report and saw bruises seen all over my body . ” Meanwhile, parents of the victim, Mr . and Mrs . Timothy Bonko called on the Rivers State Police Command not to allow the accused persons go scot free to serve as a deterrent to other persons. The father of the girl said he had approached the International Federation of Women Lawyers in the state to ensure the prosecution of the case . “ When I saw her, she was not in her senses . I started asking questions. Then they told me that they have arrested the suspects. I saw the suspects and they told me what happened . “ We took her to a psychiatric hospital. They tested her and did everything . Wherever we went, the NYSC followed us on the matter . An NYSC official reported the issue to the headquarters . If we allow this matter to die, they will do the same thing to other female corps members . That is why I decided to come to FIDA , ” he explained. The state Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, said the matter was under investigation. “ Yes, we refer to this issue , but the matter has not reached my desk . I believe it is still under investigation, ” Mukan stated.

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Post Date : September 19, 2020

Infrastructure: Larfarge optimistic of Nigeria’s cement market

Lafarge Africa Plc on has expressed optimism of the country’s cement market in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Khaled El Dokani, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, said this at Lafarge Africa virtual ‘Facts behind the figures’, at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). He said that Nigeria’s cement market was promising considering its teeming population of 200 million people. El Dokani added that the country’s enhanced emphasis on infrastructure development would increase activities in the industry. He said that the company would remain committed to the attainment of the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). El Dokani noted that Lafarge Africa’s initiatives were designed to contribute to the attainment of the SDGs. According to him, majority of its plants were Environmental Management System (EMS) and certified to ISO 14001:2015. “The company is committed to best practices such as minimising the use of water and replacing sources of water in communities, adopting non-polluting forms of renewable energy and recycling materials,” he said. He, however, assured all stakeholders of enhanced value creation in the years ahead. Earlier, Mr Oscar Onyema, NSE Chief Executive Officer, commended the company’s efforts in curbing the spread of COVID-19. Onyema also appreciated the company for its recent interventions and donations to support national efforts toward cushioning the effect of the pandemic on the Nigerian populace. He said that NSE would continue to provide a platform to support listed companies in meeting their strategic business objectives. “We will continue to position ourselves as the African Exchange of choice for issuers and investors by implementing policies aimed at strengthening the corporate governance of our listed companies,” he said. He noted that NSE in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic transitioned to complete digital trading through its electronic platforms. “We also launched a revamped version of our X-Issuer platform to enhance the continuous flow of relevant and reliable market information, and to enable stakeholders make informed investment decisions. “To cushion the impact of the pandemic and restrictions on business activities, we made provisions for palliatives to market stakeholders. “This includes granting a sixty-day extension to listed companies on the filing of audited and quarterly financial statements,” Onyema said. He said that NSE collaborated with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to also extend the submission of audited financial statements for all dealing member firms. (NAN)

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Post Date : September 18, 2020

International flights: FG bars Emirates Airlines

…….FG, EU meet, review sanctions …….Don’t disrespect Nigeria on visa ban , FG tells US, UK The Federal Government says Emirates Airlines has been included in the list of airlines not allowed to operate in Nigeria as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country . Minister of Aviation , Hadi Sirika, made this known via his Twitter handle on Friday. He said the decision was taken after a meeting between members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19 and European Union ambassadors. He said the ban would take effect from Monday , September 21, 2020. “ The PTF sub- committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France /KLM ban. The meeting progressed well . Emirates Airlines ’ s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved , with effect from Monday the 21st September 2020, ” he tweeted . The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France /KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines ’ s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved , with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020🇳🇬 — Hadi Sirika (@ hadisirika) September 18, 2020 The Federal Government had on September 5 okayed the resumption of international flights in the country. It subsequently released the list of nine airlines granted approval to commence operations . In the statement announcing the international flights restart in the country , Sirika had noted that Air France , KLM , Etihad , RwandAir , Air Namibia , Royal Air Maroc , Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines were denied approval to commence flight operations . He said Cabo Verde and South African airlines were denied approval as international flights were yet to resume in their countries . Middle East Airline , British Airways , Delta , Qatar , Ethiopian Airlines , Air Peace , Virgin Atlantic , Asky Airlines , Africa World Airways , Air Cote -d’ Ivoire , Kenya Airways , EgyptAir , Turkish Airlines , including Emirates Airlines , were all granted approval to resume. The minister , however , did not state the reason for including Emirate Airlines in his tweet. FG, EU meet, review sanctions The Federal Government and the European Union met on Friday to discuss international flight restrictions placed on some European airlines . The Minister of Aviation , Hadi Sirika, who made this known , said the Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19 sub-committee met with EU Ambassadors today and “ the meeting progressed well. ” The EU had excluded Nigeria from the list of countries allowed into Europe when it reopened its borders after the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic . The FG had reciprocated and banned EU airlines including Lufthansa, Air France , KLM , others from operating into the country when it reopened Nigeria ’ s airspace on September 5. Giving an update on the development on Friday, the minister added that the FG has also included Emirates Airlines in the list of airlines not approved to operate flights into the country effective Monday . “ The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France /KLM ban. The meeting progressed well . Emirates Airlines ’ situation was reviewed and they are consequently included in the list of those not approved , with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020, ” Sirika tweeted . The PUNCH had earlier reported that the government reopened the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport , Abuja , and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos , for international travels earlier this month. The FG had also listed EgyptAir , Virgin Atlantic , Turkish Airlines , AWA , Kenya Airways and Middle East Airlines as airlines permitted to operate into the Lagos airport while British Airways , Emirates , Ethiopian Airlines , AWA , and Middle East Airlines were also allowed to operate into the Abuja airport . However, the FG had said Air France , KLM , Lufthansa, Etihad Airways , TAAG Angola Airlines , Air Namibia , RwandAir and Royal Air Maroc were not approved to operate flights into the country. The government had also said there would be sanctions for non- compliance with the guidelines on the part of the approved airlines and the passengers. It had said passengers who fail to comply with the Covid- 19 protocol put in place to curb the importation of the virus would be suspended from travelling for six months while airlines that fail to comply would pay a fine of $3, 500 per passenger . Visa ban: Don’t disrespect Nigeria, FG tells US, UK The Federal Government has frowned on the statements issued by the United States and the United Kingdom on the governorship elections holding in Edo State on Saturday ( today) and Ondo State on October 10. It also expressed concern over the visa restrictions imposed by the US on unnamed politicians for alleged involvement in electoral violence during the Kogi and Bayelsa states governorship polls. Both US and the UK had vowed sanctions on anyone who perpetrated violence during the Edo and Ondo elections , including imposing visa restrictions and blocking them from accessing their assets and prosecuting them under international law . But reacting to the comments of its western allies on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement stated that it had taken note of their concerns regarding the elections in Edo and Ondo. The government explained that the President Muhammadu Buhari has continually urged all parties and contestants to peacefully conduct themselves before, during , and after the elections . The statement signed by the MFA spokesman , Ferdinand Nwonye, added that Buhari also supported patriotic non -governmental initiatives such as the Abdusalami Abubakar Peace Committee. Furthermore, it explained that there were ample provisions in the nation ’ s laws to sanction violators and perpetrators of electoral violence and fraud .

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Post Date : September 18, 2020

78 companies bid for NNPC Pipelines, depots rehabilitation

……..DPR warns IPMAN against exploitation The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says 78 companies will bid for the rehabilitation of oil pipelines and depot infrastructure across the country. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that over 300 companies applied through the official portal published in the national dailies on Aug. 7 and only 78 companies met the expiration time of noon on Sept. 18. The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, at the virtual public bid opening for the rehabilitation of the NNPC group downstream critical pipelines and associated depots/terminal infrastructure on Friday in Abuja, said the corporation was committed to transparency. Kyari said that the process of selection of companies would be transparent and those who would win the bid would undergo a process of Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) system. He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had mandated the corporation to ensure transparency and accountability in all its operations. He said that this would help the NNPC to deliver its services to all stakeholders efficiently, especially to the ordinary Nigerians, adding that the management of the corporation had aligned to the order. The GMD said that it was unfortunate that the oil pipelines deteriorated over the years with activities of hoodlums and vandals, forcing its to be underutilised. . He assured that the technology that would not be compromised by vandals would be deployed by the selected companies for the rehabilitation. “You know that this project requires huge finances that is why we are adopting BOT, pipelines globally are managed by the private sector. What we are doing today is in line with global best practices. “The NNPC is challenged because of resources constraints; today, we do not have all the resources required to reform this asset which has become so vulnerable and have lost their values and integrity over the time. “Some of them are as old as 40 years, they are due for replacement and when you want to do replacement of this scale, we do need a lot of resources, which we don’t have. “We have decided that we will bring in private partners who will rehabilitate the pipelines, they will fund it, they will operate it with us and ultimately, they will recover their investment from tariff on the pipelines. “As soon as they recover their costs, earn their margins, they will hand over to the country, that is what we want to do,” he said. Kyari said that the selected companies would have maximum of two years to deliver on the project, adding that by first quarter of 2021, the names of selected companies would be announced. In his remarks, Mr Musa Lawal, the representative of the NNPC downstream, said that the corporation operated about 5,120km pipelines across the country. He said that most of the companies had been inactive due to vandalism and activities of hoodlums on the lines, adding that it had also led to crude oil and revenue loss to the country. He assured that the process of selection would be transparent as stakeholders were invited as observers to monitor the process. “NNPC as an IETI company will continue to ensure accountability and transparency in line with this; we have virtually invited other partners as observers. “We have Infrastructure Concession Regulations Commission (ICRC), Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiatives (NEITI), Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), among others as our observers,” he said. The Director-General of ICRC, Mr Chidi Izuwah commended the corporation for its efforts to adopting proper Public Private Partnership (PPP) in infrastructure rehabilitation in the country. “This means that things can be done better in the country, we are happy with the show of interest in PPP, ICRC that will ensure that this project is carried out in a credible manner for Nigeria to see its benefits,” he said. Meanwhile the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has warned Independent Petroleum Marketers (IPMAN) in Osun against exploiting motorists in the sales of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Mr Olusegun Daboh, the DPR Operations Controller in the state, gave the warning on Friday in Osogbo when he received the newly elected IPMAN Executives. Daboh said the department would continue to monitor all filling stations in the state to ensure that they dispense accurately. The controller said any marketer caught under-dispensing product would have their filling stations sealed, and pay N100, 000 as fine on each pump discovered to be under-dispensing product. He described as disheartening the way some independent marketers engage in sharp practices, adding that the DPR would not relent in its surveillance operations in the state. Daboh, however, assured them of necessary support to succeed and advised them to always abide by all precautionary regulations. Also speaking, Mr Femi Ogunmuyiwa, DPR Head’s of Operations, appealed to the marketers to always train their attendants on safety practices. Ogunmuyiwa noted that some of the attendants lack requisite knowledge on safety procedure involved in the sales of oil and gas. Earlier, Alhaji Bukola Mati, the IPMAN Chairman, solicited for the support of DPR for the new executives and the association at large. Mati said support of the DPR was necessary for their business to thrive

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Post Date : September 18, 2020

Trump will not visit UN General Assembly during session – White House

U.S. President Donald Trump has abandoned his plans to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in person, the White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, said. Meadows added that Trump would address participants of the 75th Session of the UNGA in a televised format. The current session of the UNGA started on Tuesday and will last until Sept. 30. The week of the high-level General Debate will be held from Sept. 22 to Sept. 29. As many as 119 heads of state and 54 heads of government will address the session. In mid-August, Trump told reporters that he was thinking “about going directly to the UN to do the speech.” The UNGA is one of the six principal organs of the UN, serving as the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the UN.

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