The Federal Ministry of Education has set up a 31-man panel to renegotiate the agreement entered into between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The committee, according to findings by our correspondent, will be inaugurated next Wednesday.

This move by the government is part of plans to avert a potential disruption in the academic calendar of universities, following a fresh strike threat issued by ASUU.

Speaking to our correspondent in Abuja, the Director of Press, FME, Folasade Boriowo, said, “The government has started working, and I am sure that ASUU won’t be embarking on a strike because a number of developments are ongoing. A 31-man renegotiation committee has been formed, and they will be inaugurated next Wednesday.”

ASUU recently issued the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve several lingering issues, failing which it would embark on a fresh round of industrial action.

Among other demands, ASUU is seeking the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement based on the Nimi Briggs Committee’s Draft Agreement of 2021, as well as the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 strike action.

Additionally, ASUU is demanding the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, as well as the payment of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions. 

The union is also seeking funding for the revitalization of public universities, partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget, and the payment of Earned Academic Allowances, also partly captured in the 2023 Federal Government Budget.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in a statement issued last Wednesday, expressed frustration with the government’s lack of commitment and delay tactics, stating that these actions were fueling a crisis in the public university system.

“In view of the foregoing, ASUU resolves to give the Nigerian Government another 14 days, in addition to the earlier 21 days, beginning from Monday, September 23, 2024, during which all the lingering issues must be concretely addressed to the satisfaction of the membership of the union. The union should not be held responsible for any industrial disharmony that arises from the government’s failure to seize the new opportunity offered by ASUU to nip the looming crisis in the bud,” the ASUU President said.

The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has said that Nigeria needs to stop mortgaging crude oil to ensure the availability of feedstock for local refineries.

Dangote, who spoke at a summit organised by the Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria in Lagos, said it was unfortunate that while countries like Norway are putting oil proceeds into a future fund through their national wealth funds, Nigeria and African countries are spending oil proceeds from the future.

“To ensure sufficient feedstock availability we will need to stop mortgaging crude. It is unfortunate that while countries like Norway are putting oil proceeds into a future fund through their national wealth funds, in Africa, we are spending oil proceeds from the future today,” he stated.

On October 4, 2024, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had pledged 272,500 barrels per day of crude oil through a series of crude-for-loan deals totalling $8.86bn. 

The report stated that pledging 272,500 barrels daily meant that about 8.17 million barrels of crude would be used for different loan deals by the national oil firm on a monthly basis.

This, it said, was according to an analysis of a report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and the NNPC’s financial statements.

On Tuesday at the event,  Dangote, who was represented by the Group Executive Director, Mansur Ahmed, said the country must also prioritise the implementation of the domestic crude.

“We will also need to prioritise the implementation of the domestic crude supply obligation. We will need to expand crude production capacity to support demand from the refinery,” he submitted.

He also revealed that the company built the 650,000 barrels per day capacity Dangote refinery In Lagos without any incentive from the government.

“We built the Dangote refinery without a single incentive from the government. However, to achieve the vision of turning Nigeria into a refining hub for the region, investors need to be incentivised,” he stated.

Dangote maintained that 1.8 million barrels of new refining capacity is coming on stream in the next three years in Kuwait, China, and Bahrain.

On the other hand, he said Europe is tightening environmental standards while Holland and Belgium have banned exports of low-quality petroleum products from their hubs, stressing that these low-quality products used to be destined for Africa.

Quoting a report, Dangote mentioned that several refineries across Europe and China, with a total capacity of 3.6 million barrels per day are likely to be shut down over the next couple of years.

He said, “It was recently in the news that Scotland’s only refinery will be shut down next year. Shell is converting the 7.5 million tonnes per annum refinery in Germany to a lubricating plant.

“So, the opportunities are there. Africa imports about 3 million barrels per day of petroleum products. About half of this volume is imported by countries along the coast from Senegal to South Africa.

“These same countries produce over 3.4 million barrels of crude per day, which indeed highlights the problem of the dimension of excess crude production capacity without refining capacity. The imports come from Europe, Russia, and other parts of the world.

“So to grab this opportunity, we will need to build 1.5 million barrels per day of additional refining capacity. This would not be an easy feat, and strong support from the government and cooperation between stakeholders would be essential.”

This came as the Federal Government announced that it has officially designated the Dangote refinery as the exclusive supplier of jet fuel or Jet A1 for Nigerian airline operators.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, during an interview with Channels TV on Tuesday.

“The airline operators just met recently. With my blessing, it’s a decision from the airline operators in Nigeria that they should only buy from Dangote refinery Jet A1,” Keyamo said.

“You can see that yesterday we started the naira-for-crude purchase with Dangote. It’s all naira, no dollar component,” he added.

Keyamo further explained that sourcing jet fuel from Dangote would protect airline operators from the volatility of international oil prices, ultimately lowering their operational expenses.

Former Governor of Rivers State and the incumbent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister,Nyesom Wike, has said he owes no apology for his actions against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election.

Naija News reports that the FCT Minister made this remark on Tuesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

Wike faulted the accusation against him, saying that he engaged in anti-party activities by refusing to support Atiku Abubakar, the then-PDP presidential candidate.

According to him, he only supported equity, fairness and justice.

“For the presidential election, I said I am going to support equity, fairness and justice. In the other one, I am going to support my party and that is why we won the governor, National Assembly election.

“For presidential, I have no apologies because I don’t believe in injustice. Today people say ‘discipline Wike, he did anti-party.’ I did not do anti-party,” Wike said.

Naija News recalls that in the lead-up to the 2023 general elections, Wike, who was the governor of Rivers State at the time, allied with four other dissatisfied governors from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP): Samuel Ortom from Benue, Seyi Makinde from Oyo, Okezie Ikpeazu from Abia, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi from Enugu.

These five governors consistently insisted that Senator Iyorchia Ayu resign from his position as the national chairman of the PDP as a prerequisite for their support of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Ultimately, Atiku was defeated in the presidential election by Bola Tinubu, the candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC), under whose administration Wike is currently serving.

Nigerian oil company, Oando Plc, has been shortlisted by the Trinidadian government as one of three final contenders to take over the country’s state-owned refinery, Petrotrin.

The defunct company is a state-owned oil company in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Trinidadian Finance Minister, Colm Imbert, disclosed this during a presentation of its national budget held on September 30. Our correspondent obtained the minister’s speech on Monday.

He noted that among the initial 10 proposals, three companies had made the final shortlist including, CRO Consortium, a consortium of three Trinidadian companies, INCA Energy, an American company, and Nigeria’s Oando Plc.

The bidding process began in February 2024, when the government of Trinidad and Tobago enlisted the services of US-based Scotia Capital to oversee the refinery’s procurement by inviting “expressions of interest.”

Imbert noted, “A formal selective Request for Proposals process will now be initiated to determine the winner among these three companies, with a view to restarting the refinery, if found feasible.”

He explained that the proposals received were evaluated based on five criteria which were, a clear restart plan and timeline by the proposing company.

This restart plan and timeline had to include an asset integrity assessment, utility requirements such as power, natural gas, and water, as well as sources of crude supply.

Other criteria included a viable financing plan that covered working capital, and an agreement with the Trinidadian state oil company, Paria, that safeguarded the national interest in fuel security while addressing the management of Heritage’s crude supply, among others.

The refinery located in Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad had been closed since 2018, when the country’s Prime Minister, Keith Rowley noted that the refinery was recording losses of up to $2bn per annum.

Colm Imbert in his budget speech noted that the accumulated losses of the refinery as of the last audit was $15bn, with the country carrying a public debt of $3bn on behalf of the company.

He also noted that when the refinery was shut down in 2018, it was battling with low productivity levels.

Trinidad and Tobago, just like Nigeria is a crude oil-producing nation that relies on imported petroleum products for its energy demands.

According to reports, the refinery under review was built in 1917, making Trinidad the major oil supplier to the Caribbean region. In 1956, the owner of the refinery, Trinidad Leaseholds was acquired by Texaco, however, Texaco’s assets were nationalized in 1984.

In 1993, the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin) was formed and formally took over control of the refinery. By 2018, the refinery was shut down and Petrotrin and broken into four companies, including Guaracara Refining Company which is now the holding company for the refinery as well as other assets offered for sale.

Oando Plc in August just completed a $783m acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, thus increasing the company’s interest in the different joint venture assets.

The acquisition has also given Oando control over 40 oil and gas fields, of which 24 are producing.

Access Holdings Plc says Access Bank, its flagship subsidiary, has secured a provisional licence from the Bank of Namibia to establish a commercial bank in the country.

Speaking in a statement on Monday, Sunday Ekwochi, the company’s secretary, said Access Bank’s operations in Namibia are expected to stimulate the local economy and strengthen its position as a leading regional player.

Commenting on the development, Roosevelt Ogbonna, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Access Bank, described the move as a milestone in the bank’s efforts to promote intra-African trade.

“This expansion represents an important milestone towards establishing a railroad in Namibia for intra-African trade within the Southern African region, Africa, and the rest of the world,” Ogbonna said.

“It cements our commitment to building a robust Southern African banking network to deliver shared prosperity and advance financial inclusion thereby empowering many to achieve their dreams.”

Ogbonna said Access Bank’s entry into the Namibian market aligns with the institution’s broader goal of building a strong global franchise, opening new opportunities for businesses and individuals alike.

The CEO expressed the company’s eagerness to collaborate with local stakeholders to drive innovation, empower communities, and make a significant contribution to the region’s prosperity.

“We remain confident that our investments towards diversifying and strengthening the Bank’s long-term earnings profile will deliver significant value to our shareholders, customers, and wider stakeholder groups,” he added.

The bank also said in the coming months, it would work to fulfill the conditions required for the final licence approval and will keep the market informed.

Access Bank said with existing operations in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia, it is positioned to offer stakeholders seamless access to diverse opportunities for expansion and collaboration across the region.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Monday declared that he had no concerns about the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the fresh crisis rocking Rivers State, which has resulted in the destruction of some local government secretariats in the state.

He, however, expressed worries that President Tinubu singled out his name for mention while reacting to the crisis.

The Rivers State Governor was also quick to submit that he is not the cause of the problem in the state.

Naija News recalls violent clashes erupted in some local government areas in Rivers State on Monday following the withdrawal of the officers securing the 23 council secretariats by the police early Monday and attempts by some newly-elected local government chairmen to resume duties.

Some council secretariats were set ablaze by political opponents, while sporadic gunshots were reported in some other locations.

Reacting to the development, President Tinubu, in a statement on Monday by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, ordered the police to secure the local government secretariats in the state and also called on Governor Fubara, political leaders and their supporters in Rivers State to exercise restraint.

Reacting to Tinubu’s statement on the crisis, Fubara, who spoke on Monday night during a Channels TV interview, said he is okay with the President’s intervention, but concerned that only his name was mentioned.

Fubara said it doesn’t take rocket science for anyone to know those behind the violence in Rivers State.

He added that the pulling out of the Police allowed hoodlums to take advantage of the situation.

In his words, “I do not have any issue with it (the President’s intervention) but I am a bit concerned when my name was only mentioned.

“The issue is very simple. It’s as simple as ABC, everyone in Nigeria, everyone in Rivers State knows where this issue is coming from. It’s not rocket science. We know what the issue is and the issue is not Fubara, it is not.

“I believe strongly that with the recent intervention of the Inspector General of Police, maybe we will have a breathing space.

“Maybe as a result of him pulling his men out of those secretariats might be one of the reasons they (hoodlums) took advantage of the situation but I will appeal that while the men are there, the elected officers should have the opportunity to do their work, at least, let them provide security for them, which was even what I was thinking of.

“I was never of the opinion that the police should pull out completely. No. When they said they were moving out, it was what allowed these miscreants to take advantage of the secretariats to destroy them.”

Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the house of representatives, has alleged that supporters of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), are behind the attacks on the LG secretariats in Rivers state.

At least three LG secretariats in the south-east state—Emohua, Eleme, and Ikwerre—were set on fire by hoodlums on Monday.

The secretariats were torched after Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, swore in the 23 newly elected LG chairpersons.

The local council election was conducted on Saturday.

The Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 LGAs, while the Action Alliance (AA) claimed one.

Fubara’s loyalists joined APP weeks before the election to secure the party’s tickets to contest the poll.

In a statement, Ugochinyere, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing the Ideato federal constituency of Imo, asked President Bola Tinubu to caution Wike.

The lawmaker claimed that those orchestrating attacks on the LGA secretariats want a state of emergency to be declared in Rivers.

“Supporters of a serving minister in Tinubu’s government are alleged to be busy burning headquarters of another arm of government, and the police since morning have not stopped them,” the statement reads.

“Mr. President, do you know what this means? Nigeria has worked paths like this before, and the consequences were enormous. Stop the madness these overnight supporters are carrying out.

“Rivers people and Nigerians are recording all these for you. Elected LGA chairmen have been sworn in, and there is nothing this alleged Wike group can do that will change this or remove the democratically elected government of Gov. Fubara from office.

“Stupidity is when you think a state of emergency can be declared when you burn parts of a local government and rent cultists to be firing guns cowardly from moving vehicles, all in a bid to aid a greedy, desperate man in his mad quest to seize the public purse of a people.

“Let the president stop the madness coming from Abuja before it destroys the entire democratic system. Act in your own interest.”

BACKGROUND

Fubara and Nyesom Wike, his predecessor and minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), are locked in a supremacy battle over the control of the political structure of Rivers state.

The build-up to the Rivers LGA elections was marked by controversy, fueled by conflicting court rulings.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP also opposed the conduct of the poll.

On September 4, a high court in Rivers state held that Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) could conduct the LGA elections using the 2023 voter register.

But on September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.

The court also barred the inspector-general of police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the conduct of the election.

However, the election was conducted without a voter register and police security.

Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the commission could not investigate corruption cases in 10 states due to court orders.

Olukoyede spoke in Abuja on Monday at the 6th EFCC/National Judicial Institute (NJI) capacity-building workshop for justices and judges.

The theme of the workshop was ‘Integrating stakeholders in curbing economic and financial crimes’.

However, the EFCC chairman did not list the 10 states where court orders are preventing the anti-graft agency from performing its functions.

Olukoyede said there is a need for collaboration between anti-graft agencies and the judiciary in the fight against corruption.

He said the commission is battling the issues of frequent adjournments of high-profile cases and conflicting court orders in the prosecution of corruption.

“In spite of the energy and commitment of our judges in resolving corruption cases across the country and measures such as practice direction and designation of courts and judges to hear corruption matters, there are still some areas of concern that need to be addressed urgently,” Olukoyede said.

“The spectre of frequent adjournments of high-profile corruption cases arising from frivolous applications, conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction in corruption cases, intemperate contempt orders hauled at the commission’s leadership, and undue reliance on technicality in deciding serious corruption cases, unwarranted orders of injunction restraining the commission from investigating graft cases, are among a plethora of issues that bother the EFCC, which should be on the table for frank conversations over the next two days.

“The incidence of suspects facing criminal investigation rushing to court to obtain orders of injunction restraining the commission from inviting, investigating, interrogating, and arresting them, including some state governments, has become rampant and worrisome.

“At the last count, the commission is unable to conduct an investigation in at least 10 states of the federation.

“This is in spite of the clear pronouncements by appellate courts that law enforcement agencies cannot be restrained in carrying out their statutory duties.”

The EFCC chairman urged the judicial officers to use the platform to engage with the commission and “speak frankly on how corruption cases can be speedily determined”.

He said without a “committed, patriotic, and courageous judiciary,” EFCC and other agencies would not make any headway in the fight against corruption.

Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says he has been receiving threats over his decision to take legal action against VeryDarkMan, the controversial activist.

Recently, VeryDarkMan shared a purported audio conversation wherein Bobrisky, the popular crossdresser, claimed that Falana and his son Falz contacted her while she was serving a six-month sentence for naira abuse.

In the recording, Bobrisky alleged that she spoke with Falz in prison, adding that the rapper and his father “tried to get me a presidential pardon in exchange for N10 million”.

The activist, whose real name is Martins Vincent Otse, said he has lost respect for Falana over his alleged involvement in the matter.

Bobrisky has since denied the recording and threatened to sue VeryDarkMan for defamation.

Falana and Falz have also threatened to institute legal action against the activist if he fails to retract his comments and apologise.

Speaking in an interview with Sahara Reporters on Monday, Falana said some persons have threatened to burn his office and kill his daughter over the case.

The human rights lawyer, who had previously denied meeting Bobrisky, described the situation as “disturbing”.

“The only disturbing area in this scenario is the threat to me and one of my two daughters,” he said.

“Some of these guys, who I believe are mentally deranged, had dared me saying, ‘If you go to court, we shall burn your office’. They have also sent messages to one of my daughters that ‘If your father goes to court, we shall kill you.’

“I beg your pardon, in this country? I just laughed, and I asked my girl not to worry; I will take it up. I have already taken it up. We must also let these guys know where we are coming from.”

Nigeria has commenced discussions with Brazil to facilitate direct flights between both countries.

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, began negotiations with Carlos Garcete, Brazilian ambassador to Nigeria, to activate the bilateral air service agreement (BASA) and initiate direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil.

In a statement on October 7, Tunde Moshood, special adviser, media and communications to the minister, said the move is in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.

On August 29, Tinubu urged the Brazilian ambassador to Nigeria, to prioritise the establishment of direct flights between both countries.

“During the discussions, both envoys emphasized the need for new BASA arrangements to reflect current realities in the aviation world,” the ministry said..

“This meeting stems from the mutual interests shared by President Tinubu and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a meeting in Addis Ababa in February 2024, where they agreed to reinitiate the BASA arrangements, recognizing the cultural and economic ties between Nigeria and Brazil.”

To ensure the successful finalisation of the initiative, both countries agreed to set up committees to draft and finalise new BASA arrangements.

The ministry said two Nigerian airlines, Air Peace and Caverton, have been designated to operate on the route, further highlighting the strategic partnership between the two nations.

According to the ministry, the Nigerian aviation industry is expected to see increased expansion and global reach upon the operationalisation of the agreement.

Speaking on the importance of the direct flights, Garcete highlighted the potential for immediate commencement of flight services, noting that both nations could facilitate four to five flights per week.

“The introduction of direct flights will spark significant economic growth between our countries,” he said.

However, he said the open skies agreement needs to be finalised to fully enable the proposed flights.

The ambassador also extended an invitation to the minister to visit Brazil for the formal signing of the agreement, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria-Brazil relations.

On his part, Keyamo, while expressing appreciation for the ambassador’s visit, noted the optimism about the potential economic impact of the BASA.

“There are numerous similarities between Nigeria and Brazil, and the activation of these flights will not only enhance trade but also strengthen cultural and social exchanges,” the minister said.

Keyamo reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to advancing bilateral aviation agreements that foster economic development and connectivity.