Seventeen individuals have been apprehended and two vessels loaded with unlawfully refined automotive gas oil (diesel) have been seized by the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) in Rivers State.

Rear Admiral John Okeke, the Commander of OPDS, revealed this information during a press briefing held at Onne, Rivers State, on Wednesday.

The detained individuals were crew members of the seized vessels.

One of the vessels, named MV King James, was found carrying 400,000 litres of diesel, while the other, MV Messiah 1, was transporting 100,000 litres of diesel.

Both vessels were intercepted by OPDS at the Federal Ocean Terminal in Onne, and the crew members were apprehended on the Onne River.

MV King James was seized along with its seven crew members, while MV Messiah 1 had ten crew members onboard at the time of arrest.

The confiscated petroleum products have been transferred to the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, and assurances have been given by Okeke that the detained individuals will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for potential prosecution.

Furthermore, it was highlighted that the vessels lacked the necessary approvals and legitimate documentation for transporting the oil products.

“The OPDS which I represent for the navy is the statutory agency for oil approvals. It means that when a vessel is found without requisite documents, it has defaulted,” stated Okeke.

Okeke also urged those involved in oil theft, illegal oil refining, and other illicit activities to cease their actions and pursue legitimate ventures, warning that they will face legal consequences if they continue to operate outside the law.

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Finance to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the non-remittance of tax revenues amounting to N1.8 trillion ($342 million) to the federal government by Multichoice.

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Sa’idu Abdullahi at the plenary on Wednesday.

Presenting the motion, he said the investigation was necessitated due to suppression of information discovered from the submissions in the company’s home country, South Africa.

He said, Multichoice, a prominent multinational corporation operating in Nigeria, has been accused of non-remittance of tax revenues due to the federal government, as evidenced by the suppression of information.

Abdullahi said that the Nigerian economy was facing significant challenges, with dwindling revenue posing a threat to the overall fiscal stability and development of the country.

He added, “The Federal Inland Revenue Service had engaged a consultant in 2021 under a whistle blowing contract to carry out an audit of the tax obligations of Multichoice Nigeria and MultiChoice Africa with a view to ascertaining the company’s tax indebtedness to the country. Their findings led to a back audit and investigation carried out by the FIRS from 2011 to 2020.

“The previous attempts by FIRS to recover the unpaid taxes through legal means, including court proceedings and the subsequent resolution to settle out of the court by both parties, have not yielded the desired result.

“The systems audit and investigation revealed enormous indebtedness to the tune of over N1.8 trillion in back total taxes for MultiChoice Nigeria, and $342 million in Value-added tax, for MultiChoice Africa that had never paid any taxes since they started business operations in Nigeria. Both amounts were levied upon the Multichoice Group by the FIRS”.

He further stated that, there were arrangements to sell Multichoice Nigeria and other Multichoice Group subsidiaries in Nigeria to a foreign Interest, while the tax indebtedness remained outstanding.

He added, “If urgent actions are not taken to recover these tax revenues from the Multichoice Group, Nigeria may lose such huge revenue that can inject life into the economy.”

The House adopted the motion and cautioned potential buyers of Multichoice Nigeria, Multichoice Africa or other subsidiaries of the Multichoice Group operating in Nigeria to be aware of the alleged outstanding indebtedness which may have been covered in their papers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has revealed that its members and leadership were threatened and intimidated against carrying out their planned two-day nationwide protest.

The Labour Union, however, revealed that despite the threats, it went ahead with the protest on Tuesday.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who made this known in a press conference on Wednesday, also disclosed that the union got information that several agents were mobilized to cause violence along protest routes, and that is part of the reasons they had to suspend the second day of protests.

It would be recalled that the NLC had declared a two-day nationwide mass protest for February 27 and 28, 2024, over the economic hardship and rising cost being faced by Nigerians since the removal of subsidy on petrol in May 2023.

However, after Tuesday’s successful protest across various state capitals and major cities, the NLC announced the suspension of its planned second-day protest, saying the objectives of the protest have been achieved on the first day.

Shedding more light on the development, Ajaero on Wednesday revealed that the cancellation of the second day protest was a strategic move on the part of the NLC.

He however added that if the federal government fails to comply with the demands of the union withing the new ultimatum given, the National Executive Council of the NLC would reveal the next line of action.

“We were threatened with all manners of consequences that would be meted on us if we went ahead,” Ajaero said during Wednesday’s press briefing.

“We were, however, not perturbed as lifting the heavy yoke of suffering upon Nigerian workers and masses left us with no option than to press on.”

The NLC president said the congress has evidence from Tuesday’s protest of the “importation of agents who were mobilised to the protest routes and grounds to cause violence against the peaceful protest”.

“God is, however, always a step ahead of the enemies of the workers and the Nigerian people. That was also one of the reasons we had to restructure on the second day of the nationwide protest,” he added.

“You may have noticed that almost all the routes to our office have been militarised this morning. It took a lot of time to access our office. These are not things you expect from a democratic society.

“We want to reiterate that if the government fails to comply within the specified time frame, the NEC will convene again to decide on the next line of action.

“The NLC remains steadfast in its commitment to defending and promoting the interests of Nigerian workers and the downtrodden masses, who will not succumb to intimidation,” he added.

[NaijaNews]

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has advised the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to increase oil production in order to take part in the $14 trillion investment opportunity in the global oil market in the nearest future.

According to the Secretary General of OPEC, Haitham Al-Ghais, around $14trillion in investments will be required by the year 2035 to fulfill global demand for energy, even in the face of increasing pushback against oil and gas across the globe.

Al-Ghais made this disclosure during a visit on Wednesday to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

A statement by the NNPCL spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, revealed that OPEC agreed with NNPCL’s view of broad-minded perspective on energy, opposing the perspective being advocated in some quarters that consider certain energy sources as adverse.

The statement read in part: “Furthermore, the Secretary General of OPEC noted that the oil bloc is striving to ensure market stability, adding that only through a stable market climate can Nigeria attract investment.

“We will continue to ensure that the market is stable. The global market has to be stable in order for Nigeria to be able to attract investors. If there’s volatility, if there’s no stability in the market, it will only create havoc for everybody, whether it’s a producer or consumer country. So, we will continue to do that in OPEC. We count on Nigeria’s support.”

On his part, Kyari said NNPCL was working very hard to recover lost production and provide the right fiscal environment to attract investments.

Despite achieving the highest figures of oil production at 1.6 million bpd earlier this year, Nigeria is still falling short of its 1.8 million bpd quota set by OPEC.

Nigerian citizens have heard promises from major stakeholders like NNPCL and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources that the country will increase its oil production to meet the quota.

However, numerous challenges continue to hinder crude oil production within the country.

One of the major problems is crude oil theft. The Federal Government is collaborating with NNPCL, security agencies, and third-party security organisations like Tantita Security Limited to combat the menace.

Despite efforts, the problem of crude oil theft persists and keeps evolving with new dimensions emerging daily.

It is crucial to note that, despite plans by the Tinubu administration to transition to natural gas for various applications such as industrialization, transportation, clean cooking, and fertilizer production, gas supply remains unavailable due to crude oil theft.

On a weekly basis, NNPCL records hundreds of crude oil theft incidents across the Niger Delta.

These incidents encompass illegal connections, illegal refineries, vessel arrests, and vessel AIS infractions.

[Leadership]

Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District and Chief Whip on the Senate, Ali Ndume on Wednesday disclosed that plans were afoot to provide strict sanction against the rejection of people living with disabilities.

This, he said, would be done through amendment of laws establishing the National Commission for Persons with Disability.

Speaking on Wednesday, when the FCT Para-soccer Team honoured him with an award in Abuja the lawmaker lamented the discrimination and refusal of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies to engage persons living with disabilities.

He said, persons living with disabilities with relevant qualifications in their field of study should be employed to contribute their quota to the system.

He said: “This is the Para-soccer team of the FCT. They want to honour me. We’ve been supporting people with disabilities. These people have families and they have made us proud. They’ve won laurels for Nigeria. This team was founded over 30 years ago.

“I want to donate N1 million to support FCT Para-soccer. I’ll arrange for you to meet the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. He will give you all the support.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in his Renewed Hope Agenda. We’ll have the national event in a grandeur manner and all major political leaders will be there. We can arrange that this year. This year will be a year of Renewed Hope for every Nigerian.

“We’ll make it mandatory for every MDA of the government to employ people with disabilities. They’ll be placed in offices and respected, become chief executives of such government agencies, and permanent secretaries. We’ve had a disabled senator who was the Chief Whip.”

[DailyPost]

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has instituted two separate judicial commissions of inquiry to probe the management of the state’s resources and assets under his predecessor, Samuel Ortom’s administration.

Alia charged the two commissions of inquiry, which he inaugurated on Monday night, to scrutinize the former administration between 2015 and 2023.

He urged the two panels—the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Income and Expenditure of Benue State Government (from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023) and the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Sale/Lease of Government Assets, Companies and Markets (both state and local government-owned markets), as well as Moribund Companies (from or before May 28, 2015, to May 28, 2023)—to do a thorough job.

The governor explained that the setting up of the two commissions of inquiry to look into the activities of the outgone administration has become necessary in response to the desire of the people of the state, who are the major stakeholders and owners of the resources.

In their separate responses, the Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Income and Expenditure of the Benue State Government 2015-2023, Justice Taiwo Taiwo (rtd), assured that they would do a thorough job within the space of time available to them in line with their terms of reference.

Also, the Chairman of the Judicial Commission on Sale/Lease of Government Assets, Companies, and Markets, Justice Apollos Paul Idi (rtd), expressed readiness to work in line with the terms of reference given to them and come up with recommendations that would help the government move the state forward.

The Commission of Inquiry on the Income and Expenditure of Government Funds from May 2015 to May 2023 has Chief John Ochoga, Henry Tor, Tom Ujah, Ode Igbade Nick, Iorpenda Tarnguhar, and Terfa Gbande as members, while Barr. Ajinge Sar and Dr. Abraham Gberindyer are to serve as government counsel and secretary, respectively.

The Commission of Inquiry on the Sale of Assets, Companies and Markets from 2015 to 2023 has Clement Nenge Beetse, John Ogah, Dr. Terungwa Adzende, and Hon. Abraham Atotse as members, while Victor Nyamtamen (Esq.) and John Edigbo serve as government council and secretary, respectively.

Meanwhile, Ortom has said he welcomed the inauguration of the two judicial commissions by his successor to probe the activities of his administration between 2015 and 2023.

The former governor, through his media aide, Terver Akase, on Tuesday expressed willingness to cooperate with the probe panels as long as the investigation is carried out in line with the law.

Ortom stressed that his administration was built on transparency, accountability, and good governance as he emphasized his readiness to provide any information or clarification as may be required, urging his former appointees to equally make themselves available whenever called upon to provide clarifications.

The Senate has constituted a nine-man committee to investigate the N30 trillion Ways and Means advances the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) extended to the federal government.

Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, announced Senator Jibrin Isah (Kogi East) as chairman of the panel during Tuesday’s sitting.

The Red Chamber had, last week, resolved to probe how the loan was used after adopting the report of its joint Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Finance, National Planning, Agriculture and Appropriations.

The Ways and Means is a loan facility the CBN gives the federal government to fund budget shortfalls.

The loan facility has been a subject of controversy, with experts expressing concern that CBN had exceeded its lending threshold to the federal government, against extant laws.

Barau, in his remark before announcing membership of the committee, said the excessive borrowing caused inflation in the country.

He said: ““The financial obligation to the CBN now stands at N30 trillion. It is therefore imperative to interrogate the loans of the N30 trillion Ways and Means with a possibility of recovering whatever possible.”

Other members of the ad hoc committee are: Ekpeyong Asuquo, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Victor Umeh, Olamilekan Adeola, Sani Mohammed Musa, Aliyu Wadada, Abdul Ningi and Ipalibo Banigo Harry.

They were given four weeks to turn in their report for further legislative action.

The Senate on Wednesday, February 28, approved President Bola Tinubu’s request for the removal of Babatunde Irukera as Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

Tinubu had on Monday, January 9, sacked both the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, and the Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Irukera with immediate effect.

The resolution of the red chamber followed its consideration and adoption of a motion to that effect moved by the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti Central) that “the Senate do consider the request of Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the removal of Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in accordance with Section 8(1)(bb) & (2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018.

Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu West) in his contribution, observed that Irukera had not completed his term of office before he was removed.

However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio in his response reminded him that it was not the duty of the Senate to question the president’s nomination or removal of persons in official positions, but to either approve or reject it.

Senators approved President Tinubu’s removal of Irukera when Akpabio put the matter to voice vote.

[TheNation]

The Nigerian Communications Commission has reiterated its directive to telecom operators to bar telephone subscribers not linked to their National Identification Numbers on or before February 28, 2024.

The Executive Vice Chairman, National Communication Commission,  Dr Aminu Maida, spoke at the NCC’s Special Day during the ongoing 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair on Wednesday.

Maida who was represented by Mr Reuben Mouka, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, insisted that as a matter of critical national security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to their SIM.

He reaffirmed that the February 28th deadline given to telecom operators to bar subscribers who failed to link their NIN to SIM, stands. 

“To this end, the National Communication Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” he added.

This, the executive vice chairman said, was apt as the theme resonated with the principles and objectives of the commission in promoting local content development in the telecom industry.

Maida also said the NCC was committed to protecting consumers’ rights while ensuring their satisfaction and noting that the commission has created a universally acceptable environment to access “affordable and equitable service and supports the nation’s economic growth.”

For instance, he continued that the Telecom Consumer Assistance, Resolution and Enquiries (TELCARE) Desk at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Internatonal Airport Abuja The TELCARE desk was set up to further provide an additional platform to make enquiries on customer issues, receive and facilitate the resolution of telecom consumer complaints.

He explained that by “working together, we can create a more vibrant telecommunications industry that contributes significantly to the economic recovery and growth.”

According to him, as of 2023, the telecoms industry’s contribution to the nation’s GDP stood at 13.5% (Source – Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report November 2023-A publication of the National Bureau of Statistics.

“Conversely, as we promote economic growth through the development of local content, we must also address the challenges faced by consumers and NCC is committed to protecting their rights while ensuring their satisfaction.

The NCC boss, therefore urged telecom firms to prioritize customer satisfaction and uphold the highest standards of service delivery, noting that the commission has implemented measures to safeguard the interests of consumers and businesses alike.

One such measure, he said, was the NCC’s directive on May 17, 2023, that all licensed Mobile Network Operators commence implementation of approved Harmonised Short Codes for providing services to Nigerian telecom consumers.

“The new initiative is enabling consumers using the over 224 million active mobile telephone lines in Nigeria to use the same codes to access services across all networks,” he added.

Meanwhile, the NCC boss disclosed that as of 2023, the telecoms industry’s contribution to the nation’s GDP stood at 13.5 per cent, according to the Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report November 2023 – A publication of the National Bureau of Statistics.

[Punch]

JUSTICE Moore Abraham Aseimo Adumein is one of the eleven new Justices of the Supreme Court to be sworn-in today, February 26, 2024. Some who knew him, in his younger days, did not believe he would move to the bench, not to talk of climbing to the apex court.

This is because he was a very intelligent science student and mainly an environmentalist working in the Niger Delta, including as research assistant to his benefactor, Dr. B. Idoniboye-Obu, taking samples of polluted waters and soils, and helping villagers to build their cases for remediation and compensation.

He was a rights’ activist who wanted justice for the Nigerian nationalities, in what later became known as “resource control”. In those days, he and some of us, including Chief Alex Ekiotene and Reverend Dadikumo Odondiri, learnt at the feet of the great Niger Delta leader, Pa George Weikezie, whose home in Apapa, Lagos, was open to all.

Adumein was also very close to the Grand Old Man of Minority Rights in Nigeria, Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye. When the latter founded the Association of Mineral Producing Areas of Rivers State, AMPARS, to agitate for minority rights, as he had done during the 1957 Willinks Commission, Adumein was its youngest member and research officer.

The AMPARS agitation, amongst others, led to the June 25, 1992 establishment of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC, as a special intervention agency in Nigeria. OMPADEC transformed in 2000 into the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Adumein, walking in the footsteps of his mentor, Chief Dappa-Biriye, became a national delegate of the National Republican Convention, NRC, one of the two parties decreed into existence by the Babangida regime. It was here he displayed what can be described as his ‘Audacity of Hope’.

The Babangida regime had proclaimed that it wanted to hand over to “New Breed Politicians” and a young Adumein stretched this when he decided to run for the national chairmanship of the party after it was zoned to the South. Incredibly, his candidacy gained traction. The media dubbed him ‘The Eaglet National Chairmanship Candidate’.

On the eve of the party’s national convention, the then Chief of Staff, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, addressed the NRC caucus. Adumein was told that the regime was interested in Chief Tom Ikimi, whose candidacy had been declared. He was asked to step down and that he would be compensated. He agreed to step down but said he was not interested in any compensation. Perhaps, the regime did not believe him, because early in the morning of the convention, the secret police took over his hotel room.

They had come to ‘escort’ him to the convention venue. Three of the men remained inside his room, while he took his bath and dressed. The armed men took him straight to the convention stage where shouts of “Rivers! Rivers!! Rivers!!!”, as he was known amongst delegates, rented the air. He announced that he was stepping down, and raised the hand of Chief Ikimi, who was later elected party national chairman along with other candidates on Adumein’s list.

He was part of the movement that agitated for the creation of a new state out of Rivers State. When Bayelsa State was eventually created on October 1, 1996, he was consulted to be the pioneer Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. But that was not to be.

In 2002, he was appointed a High Court Judge in Bayelsa State and, in 2010, elevated to the Court of Appeal where he served in several Divisions and became the Presiding Justice, first of Ibadan Division and, later, Yola Division.

The Court of Appeal, with Adumein presiding, and Justices Gyarazama Sanga Bitrus and Ganiyu Lateef Adebayo as Justices, on November 17, 2023, upheld the nullification of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf’s election. The main basis was that Yusuf was not a member of the NNPP– the political party that purportedly sponsored him contrary to Section 177(c) of the Constitution. Adumein held that: “A person must be a member of a political party before he can be sponsored for an election. Sponsorship without membership is like putting something on nothing.”

The ruling turned controversial when the certified true copy was contrary, obviously the result of a mix up. There was an instant media trial of the Justices, even without hearing from them or giving them the benefit of the doubt. Things got as ridiculous as some lawyers petitioning the United Nations! The Court’s Chief Registrar, in reaction, explained it was a mistake and that “Order 23 Rule 4 of the Court of Appeal Hand Book” empowers the court to correct such errors.

The subsequent Supreme Court decision on the Kano State case, raised more questions than answers. It might go the way of the controversial 1979 “Twelve Two-thirds” judgement that cannot be cited as a judicial precedent.

As if he had premonition of what was to happen in his last days on the Court of Appeal bench, Adumein, in 2012, held in the case of Sijuade v. Oyewole that: “A tribunal or court is not a science laboratory where facts, issues and matters can be tried, tested and resolved with scientific certainty or exactitude…Courts only apply the test of ‘a reasonable man’ which is prone to human errors. Even in a scientific test, errors are not completely eliminated or ruled out…That Judges are fallible is a matter of ancient acclamation and acknowledgement… Judges will continue to acknowledge their fallibility, as only God is omniscient and infallible.”

Upon being called to the Bar, and after his National Youth Service, Adumein was the pioneer junior legal practitioner in the well-known law firm of E. C. Ukala & Co. (Efe Chambers), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he was groomed under the tutelage of Emmanuel C. Ukala, SAN.

Some years ago, Adumein told me in an emotion-laden voice that he went from the back waters of environmentally-degraded Rivers to the rough life of Ajegunle(Jungle City) in Lagos; through the hardship he endured in Warri and Port Harcourt, he found himself under the glittering lights of Hong Kong doing post-graduate studies, he could not but marvel at God’s hand in his life.

Justice Adumein is a survivalist having been knocked down many times, but each time, like a great boxer, he rises from the canvas to continue fighting; he never gives up.