The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has given more explanations on why the northern region and some other stakeholders are against the Tax Reform Bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, the tax reforms would only benefit Lagos State and bring backwardness to the North.

Speaking during an interview with BBC News Hausa, Governor Zulum added that not only the north would be negatively affected, but also to the South East, South South, and South West.

In his view, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo will also have problems.

He added that some supporters of the bill are of the opinion that the proposed bill could put Lagos at a disadvantage; but according to him, if that is the case, they do not wish for any such disadvantages to affect Lagos State.

Zulum, therefore, urged President Tinubu to revisit the tax reform bills in light of the fact that he received 60% of his votes from the northern region.

The Governor advised the President that he should ignore voices suggesting that the northern population does not support him as that perception is inaccurate.

The Borno Governor emphasized that all they want is for him to withdraw the tax reform bills.

The position of Governor Zulum comes at a time when the Senate has advanced the Tax Reform Bills to second reading amidst the opposition against it and controversies it has already generated.

Naija News gathered that the bills passed second reading after the majority leader of the senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, led a debate on them on Thursday.

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Olufemi Soneye, has shared that the government agency collaborated with an external organization to revitalize the previously defunct Port Harcourt Refinery.

During his remarks on the obstacles encountered in the refurbishment of the ageing facility, Soneye elaborated on the strategy employed.

He indicated that the organization engaged retired NNPC personnel who had extensive experience in refinery operations, leveraging their knowledge and skills.

The incorporation of these seasoned and proficient resources proved to be a pivotal factor in the project’s success, as highlighted by the spokesperson for NNPCL.

“Execution of a revamp project in a brown field environment has a greater technical difficulty, which is multiple times higher than in a green field. Unknown and unforeseen technical challenges impeded the commissioning and startup multiple times and took us back several weeks, hence schedule delays.

“We partnered with and drew on the wealth of experience from an external party who had carried out commissioning and startup, currently operating and maintaining several refineries. The injection of these additional, highly skilled and competent resources was the game changer. We also identified and mobilised retired NNPC staff who had worked in the refineries; their experience and expertise were useful. We carried out a detailed technical review to understand and identify areas of vulnerabilities; we put a system in place to eliminate and address the bad actors systematically,” Soneye told Nigerian Tribune.

Speaking on why there was a delay regarding the commencement date, he said: “You would recall we had made several attempts to start up the PHR about six to seven times with dates. We felt there would be added pressure on the entire team once we announced a date, hence the reason why we made sure, based on lessons of the past, we went mute on the commencement date to allow us sufficient time to ensure operations were stable.”

Addressing controversy about the refining and blending going on at the Port Harcourt Refinery regarding petrol production, he said: “Refining and blending are interconnected processes crucial for crude oil processing and optimizing refinery yields, especially when producing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).”

Soneye, who was addressing speculations about suspected secrecy and suddenness of the launch of the refinery, said: “There was no secrecy and suddenness of the launch. We had to ensure the OPHR 60kbblpd was stable after the commencement of operation, and we had built up sufficient volumes of the products.”

He added: “Port Harcourt Refinery – and any operating refinery in Nigeria – will contribute to supply security for Nigeria and reduce the dependency on importation and the related USD needed for those imports. Refineries also contribute to technology developments and employment.

“Pricing will always be determined by market forces both inside and outside Nigeria, however, one could expect that using locally produced crude and reduction of imports reduce overall logistics costs.”

Port Harcourt Refinery Operating Model

Speaking on the operating model of the newly launched Refinery, Soneye disclosed that: “Crude oil supply will be purchased from our NNPC Trading Company under sales and purchase agreement. Crude oil transportation will be via pipelines under the tariffing framework. Operations and maintenance (O and M), that is planned turnarounds and reliability engineering, will be outsourced to the external contractor based on a five-year contract. Planning and scheduling, Commercial, Supply Chain and Finance will be under Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC). Product evacuation/offtake will be via NNPC Retail under the purchase agreement.

“To ensure the sustainability of the historical operations of the OPHR 60kbblpd plant and the NPHR 150KBBLPD, NNPCL has put in place an interim Operations and Maintenance Contract to guarantee uninterrupted operations of Area 5. As you are aware, we are about to finalise the five years O&M tendering process. This will finally put us on the right path to ensure we have the best contractor in the world working with NNPCL to ensure reliability and utilisation of 210kbblpd refinery – this would ensure energy security to the country.”

The first woman and first African to run the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been reappointed to the role.

She was reappointed for a second term, the global trade body said Friday.

“WTO members today agreed to give incumbent Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala a second term as director-general of the WTO,” the organisation said in a statement.

Her next four-year term will begin on September 1, 2025.

A Nigerian national alongside eight others has been accused of running a multi-state money laundering organization that handled $20 million from internet fraud.

The US Department of Justice announced this in a statement on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.

“An indictment was unsealed yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee, charging nine members of a multi-state money laundering organization responsible for laundering millions of dollars derived from internet fraud, including business email compromise schemes,” the statement read.

The nine defendants were arrested in a takedown coordinated across three jurisdictions.

According to court documents, Samson A. Omoniyi, 43 of Houston; Misha L. Cooper, 50 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Robert A. Cooper, 66 of Murfreesboro; Carlesha L. Perry, 36 of Houston; Whitney D. Bardley, 30 of Florissant, Missouri; Lauren O. Guidry, 32 of Houston; Caira Y. Osby, 44 of Houston; Dazai S. Harris, 34 of Murfreesboro; and Edward D. Peebles, 35, of Murfreesboro, were charged with conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were members of a long-running money laundering organization operating since approximately November 2016 in and around Tennessee, Texas, and across the country.

The conspirators allegedly structured the organization so that recruiters or “herders” recruited and directed participants or “money mules” to launder money obtained from internet frauds that targeted businesses and individuals in the United States and abroad.

The defendants allegedly used sham and front companies to conceal the fraud proceeds and enrich the members of the conspiracy. The conspiracy is alleged to have agreed to launder more than $20 million in fraud proceeds.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee; and Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Nashville Field Office and Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency are investigating the case. FBI’s Forensic Accountant Support Team provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Kenneth Kaplan and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Carran Daughtrey for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has announced that petrol from the Port Harcourt refinery will be sold at ₦1,030 per litre, confirming that the refinery is operational as declared by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

In a statement released on Thursday night, PETROAN spokesman, Joseph Obele noted that the NNPCL informed the association that the price for a litre of premium motor spirit at the refurbished refinery is N1,030.

Obele stated, “NNPC Retail Ltd has officially announced the PMS price at the Port Harcourt refinery as N1,030 per litre.

“It was also communicated to PETROAN that the product request portal was open for booking/request.”

He added that PETROAN’s strategic pricing team is currently analyzing the most favorable pricing for its members, saying, “we are open to patronizing all the refineries in Nigeria.”

The association also urged NNPCL to consider further price reductions to ensure a joyful Yuletide celebration for Nigerians.

This announcement follows weeks of speculation regarding the petrol price from the refinery.

Recall that the Port Harcourt Refinery commenced operations and truckout of petroleum products on Tuesday.

French President, Emmanuel Macron has sparked conversations online after welcoming Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to France in a tweet written in Pidgin English.

In the tweet posted on Thursday evening, Macron described Tinubu’s state visit as a “big honour for France,” emphasising the strong partnership and friendship between the two nations.

“Na big honour for France, dear President Bola Tinubu @officialABAT, to welcome you for dis state visit as one big partner and friend of today and tomorrow,” the French president wrote.

The French leader, who interned at the French Embassy in Nigeria earlier in his career, also reflected on his connection to Nigeria, saying, “E still dey sweet me well well as I remember say I be young intern for French Embassy for Nigeria that time.”

Macron’s use of Pidgin — a widely spoken language in Nigeria — has drawn praise from Nigerians online, with many commending him for his effort to connect culturally.

The post, which included a photo of the two presidents shaking hands in front of their countries’ flags, quickly went viral, garnering thousands of interactions.

“Macron dey write for Pidgin. It is high time we make Pidgin our official language,” wrote Twitter user Daviid.O.

Others lauded Macron’s approach.

“Wow. This is absolutely incredible! Nice one, Macron!” tweeted Talba na Kashim.

Muhammadu Dingyadi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, stated on Thursday that Nigerians should not expect his ministry to provide jobs, as this is not part of its mandate.

He made this statement during the annual conference of the Federal Capital Territory chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Abuja.

Dingyadi acknowledged the country’s large youth population and the importance of ensuring their engagement in productive activities. However, he stressed that the ministry’s primary role is to create an enabling environment for job opportunities rather than directly providing employment.

“You will agree with me that the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is not to offer jobs directly. Instead, it focuses on fostering job creation, promoting inclusive investment, and enhancing productivity for improved service delivery as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Dingyadi explained.

He further shared an anecdote: “The former minister of youths and sports once requested that I provide jobs, and I had to clarify that we only create the environment for employment opportunities; we do not provide jobs ourselves.”

Dingyadi highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to economic recovery and transformation, citing initiatives such as negotiating a new Minimum Wage for workers and strategic investments in human capital, infrastructure, and institutional reforms.

John Adetola, a witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), revealed before the Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Thursday, November 28, how he delivered $400,000 to the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

Adetola, who served as an executive assistant to the ex-CBN governor, testified before Justice Rahman Oshodi, shedding light on the transaction.

Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are currently on trial, facing 26 charges related to alleged abuse of office and financial fraud involving $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.

During his testimony as the seventh prosecution witness, Adetola, led by EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), disclosed that he was summoned from his new posting in Ekiti State.

He recounted: “In 2018, I can’t remember the date, Mr. Eric Odoh sent me a message on WhatsApp that I should go and collect the sum of $400,000 from John Ayoh and give it to the former CBN Governor when he came to Lagos.

“I went to the house of John Ayoh at Lekki in Lagos. He gave me an envelope and I came back to the office, and I gave it to the former CBN Governor.”

Adetola elaborated on his role as Emefiele’s executive assistant, detailing his responsibilities, including managing office correspondence, attending to visitors, and handling assignments from his boss.

He explained that he joined the CBN in June 2014 after starting his career with Veritas Registrars (formerly Zenith Registrars) in 2007. Adetola also mentioned that he had known Emefiele as the Managing Director of Zenith Bank before transitioning to the CBN.

Regarding his communication with Emefiele, Adetola stated, “I communicate with the former CBN Governor through telephone, office line, email, and verbal communication.”

When asked to identify some of Emefiele’s family members, he said, “I know Mr. George, I know Mr. Okanta. They are Mr. Emefiele’s brothers. I know his wife, Mrs. Margaret Emefiele. I know the second defendant, Henry Omoile.”

Adetola also described his encounter with the EFCC, stating, “In February 2023, I received an invitation from the EFCC to come to their office. They interviewed me. I travelled to the EFCC office in Lagos and made voluntary statements.”

When questioned about his interactions with John Ayoh during his tenure at the CBN, Adetola confirmed, “Yes, we work together; John Ayoh was the former Director of the ICT.”

He further noted that his phone had been examined by the EFCC, and he was questioned about certain office documents printed from it.

“In 2018, I can’t remember the date, Mr. Eric sent me a message on WhatsApp that I should go collect $400,000 from John Ayoh and give it to the former CBN Governor when he comes to Lagos.

“I went to the house of John Ayoh at Lekki in Lagos State; he gave me an envelope, and I came back to the office; I gave it to the former CBN Governor,” Adetola reiterated.

The prosecution attempted to tender documents as exhibits, but the defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), opposed the move.

However, Justice Oshodi dismissed their objection and admitted the documents, which included “a combination of official communication between the witness and Emefiele via WhatsApp, between the witness and John Ogah and Eric Odoh,” as evidence.

The court adjourned the case for further hearing.