Prices Of Petrol Might Be Cheaper – Marketers Stay Optimistic As Dangote Refinery Set For Operations
AdminOil marketers in the country are overjoyed and optimistic that the new Dangote Refinery will reduce the cost of gasoline.
Marketers are positive that the facility would revive the cost of deregulated products.
Chinedu Okonkwo, National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), told The Punch that the refinery would not only create jobs, but would also lower the cost of deregulated petrol.
The IPMAN boss submitted;
That refinery is going to create further hope for this nation. It will create a lot of jobs and ensure availability of products. The time spent in importing petroleum products will be eliminated and Nigeria will gain a lot from it, moving forward.
It was learned that the 650,000 barrels per day facility, estimated to cost over $19 billion, is an integrated refinery project under construction in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos, Nigeria. It is expected to be Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility.
The company, on its website, said the refinery would meet 100% of the Nigerian requirement of all refined products and also have a surplus of each of these products for export.
It said;
Dangote Petroleum Refinery is a multi-billion dollar project that will create a market for $21bn per annum of Nigerian crude. It is designed to process Nigerian crude with the ability to also process other crude.
It is against this backdrop that the IPMAN boss explained that;
Dangote is a private businessman who is out to make money, but one thing is that if the petroleum business is deregulated, the products will be cheaper. This is because the cost of freight, carrying the crude and refining it and bringing it back as refined products will be addressed and that value alone will be an advantage for the country.
Throwing more light on if petrol would be deregulated once the refinery starts producing, Okonkwo said “Yes, at least it will reduce the stress around availability and affordability.
“It is our own because what is needed mostly by my members is the availability of products so that as we make a living from the business of selling petrol, it will help everybody in the system.”
On his part, the IPMAN National Public Relations Officer, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, stated;
We are optimistic and excited to know that the refinery is set for inauguration, considering the humongous benefits that it is going to have on not just the oil sector, but also on the Nigerian economy.
With the coming onboard of the Dangote Refinery, we believe that Nigeria will say goodbye to PMS scarcity as well as the poor supply of other petroleum products.
It Is Not A Secret Meeting’ – Onaiyekan Backs Calls For Live Broadcast Of Election Tribunal Proceedings
AdminThe Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has backed calls for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal proceedings to be broadcast live.
The clergyman argued that the tribunal’s proceedings should not be conducted in secret because voters have a right to know how their votes were defended.
Onaiyekan made the remarks after Mass on Sunday, which marked the end of the 57th World Communication Week.
He warned against the dangers of electoral malpractice, claiming that the masses, not politicians, bear the direct consequences of a rigged election.
Furthermore, Onaiyekan urged the judges to administer justice fairly and to make their proceedings transparent so that Nigerians can rekindle their faith in the judiciary.
He said;
As journalists, you do your job, cover everything, but try and listen to everybody and relay to the public what is happening because they want to see.
Isn’t it why it is important the petition before the tribunal, the possibility that the tribunal should be available to all of us to be able to follow what is happening?
For me, this is very important; one thing that Nigerians don’t seem to realize is that when elections are rigged, it is not the contestants or the politicians who are worst hit.
Those who are the most impacted are me and you, but as it stands, we don’t even have locus standi in court. We are the ones who should be complaining in court that my votes have been bastardized, but they tell me I cannot go to court because I did not contest the election.
If we cannot go and make our case, at least let us see what is happening inside there. We believe that our honourable judges will do their best to make judgements that are correct, they do what is right.
Everybody will see it and it will help to calm nerves, we will know that the right thing has been done.
An aspirant for the Senate Presidency, Senator Godswill Akpabio has asked Nigerians and members of the incoming 10th National Assembly to judge him by his record as Governor of Akwa Ibom State for eight years.
Akpabio stated that he should not be assessed by his performance as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs but by his service as a lawyer of 36 years, and Commissioner for six years.
Naija News reports that Akpabio, who is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Senate Presidency, stated these in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday night.
He said: “I do know that I have not changed in any way. I am somebody God has given me the opportunity to be an uncommon transformer wherever I go. I will not like to be judged by ministerial appointment for Niger Delta, which everybody knows is a problematic place. But I would like to be judged by my record as a lawyer of 36 years, Commissioner of six years, and a governor of eight years.”
He promised that if elected Senate President, Nigerians he would sustain the January-December budget cycle initiated by the 9th National Assembly.
According to him, the introduction of the January-December budget cycle was one of the major success stories of the outgoing Assembly.
He said, “If given the opportunity by my colleagues to lead the 10th Assembly, one of the programmes I will like to sustain would be the January to December budget cycle
“The Introduction of that is what I commend the 9th National Assembly for very seriously because it allows for proper planning and allows the government to take off on a good note and also help bring about foreign direct investment into the country.
“So I think that will be sustained by the 10th Senate and that is whether I am Senate President or not. I believe working with my colleagues, we shall sustain it because it is a collective idea. Everybody is important.”
The former Akwa Ibom governor also explained his relationship with some of his colleagues opposing his ambition.
He said: “On the issue of whether somebody is supportive or not, that is not the issue. The issue is that we must continue to engage. God has put us together for the next four years.
“We must continue to speak to people so that whatever perception they have which is really not correct about me will be totally debunked.”
In an epoch-making event that will positively transform Nigeria’s oil and gas sectoral landscape, President Muhammadu Buhari will commission Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, alongside his counterparts from Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Niger, and Chad.
Dangote Refinery, established by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is scheduled for commissioning today, May 22.
The petroleum refinery with a capacity to process 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) is sitting on 2,635 hectares of land located in Dangote Industries Free Zone in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and will provide employment to over 100,000 persons.
The coming on stream of the gigantic project is expected to mark Nigeria’s exit from the league of oil rich nations which are heavy importers of the petroleum products.
Expected at the historic event apart from international dignitaries are Presidents of Togo, Gnassingbé Eyadéma; Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo; President of Senegal, Macky Sall; President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum, President of Chad, Mahamat Déby and a host of ambassadors; President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who will not be physically present, will however present his goodwill message virtually.
As at the time of filing this report, all the 36 state governors and most of the governors-elect, ministers, senators, and captains of industries in Nigeria and others from outside the country, global oil traders, top international bankers, international multilateral agencies have indicated their readiness to grace the ceremony.
Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose administration as the governor of Lagos in 2002 floated the Free Trade Zone in Ibeju-Lekki where the Refinery is located, is expected to be at the event.
Meanwhile, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said, the 650,000 barrels per day capacity Dangote Refinery could be the industrial renaissance the nation urgently needed.
MAN felicitated with the president and management of Dangote group on the completion and planned commissioning of its Petroleum Refinery located in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, being commissioned today
Director-general of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir said: “The refinery which is situated on land spanning approximately 2,635 hectares is the World’s Largest Single Train 650,000 barrels per day Petroleum Refinery with a 9000 KTPA Polypropylene Plant ever built.
“It is gratifying to note that the Refinery can meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s requirement for all refined products (Gasoline, 57 million litres per day; Diesel, 27 million litres per day; Kerosene, 11 million litres per day and Aviation Jet, nine million litres per day) and also have a surplus of each of these products for export.
“Therefore, the coming onboard of the Dangote Refinery promises to bring to a pleasant end, the nightmare of long queues at petrol filling stations and the disruption of social and economic activities that come with it.”
He added that the refinery, when fully operational, is expected to generate $10 billion from the export of refined petroleum products and save Nigeria an estimated $10 billion in foreign exchange.
According to him, with State-of-the-art technology, the refinery is designed to produce with 100 per cent Nigerian Crude and the flexibility to process other crudes from Africa, Middle East, and US Light Oil.
“It has a Self-sufficient Marine facility with the ability for freight optimization. With the Largest Single order of 5 SPMs anywhere in the world, Diesel & Gasoline Products from the refinery will conform to Euro V Specifications. The refinery design complies with the World Bank, US EPA, European emission standards, and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) emission/effluent standards.
“To cushion the potential impact of increase in mean sea level due to global warming, the company took appropriate measures using the world’s largest, seventh and 10th largest dredgers to elevate the sea height by 1.5 metres.
“Dangote Group is one of the few companies in the world executing a Petroleum Refinery and a Petrochemical complex directly as an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contractor. Globally, apart from three companies, no individual owner has done the complete EPC Contract for a Petroleum Refinery,” he pointed out.
Ajayi-Kadir stated that the Refinery offers the highest number of employees by any private company, including 100,000 indirect employment at retail outlets; 26,716 filling stations and 129 depots in Nigeria.
He added that the 16,000 trucks for transport will create additional jobs and, in the process, the company has trained over 400 artisans selected from host communities in the areas of Masonry, Carpentry, AC Electricians, Plumbing, Welders, Iron-benders and Auto Mechanics.
The commissioning of Dangote Petroleum Refinery is significant given that it is the first time that a refinery of such magnitude built by an individual is being commissioned.
Dangote’s petroleum refinery is expected to meet the needs of Nigerian consumers and those in neighbouring countries, while allowing for exports beyond the African continent. The refinery will drive the promotion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as over 50 countries in the trade bloc depend on imported refined petroleum products.
According to the Facts Sheet on Dangote Petroleum Refinery, the new Refinery can meet 100 per cent of the Nigerian requirement of all refined products (Gasoline, 53 million litres per day; Diesel, 34 million litres per day; Kerosene, 10 million litres per day, and Aviation Jet, 2 million litres per day) and also have surplus of each of these products for export.
“The refinery is designed for 100 per cent Nigerian Crude with flexibility to process other crudes. It has self-sufficient marine facilities with ability for freight optimisation, and the largest single order of 5 SPMs anywhere in the world. Diesel and Gasoline Products from the refinery will conform to Euro V specifications.
“The refinery design complies with World Bank, US EPA, European emission norms and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) emission/effluent norms. State-of-the-art technology. Designed to process a large variety of crudes including many of the African Crudes, some of the Middle Eastern Crudes and the US Light Tight Oil,” the Facts sheet added.
It also stated, “65 Million Cubic Metres of sand dredged costing approximately Euros 300 million, using the world’s largest, the second largest and the tenth largest dredgers to elevate the height by 1.5 metres, to insure against any potential impact of increase in mean sea level due to global warming. Bought over 1,209 units of various equipment to enhance the local capacity for site works.
“332 cranes to build up equipment installation capacity. Built the world’s largest granite quarry to supply coarse aggregate, stone column material, stone base, stone dust & material for break water. (10 million tonnes per year production capacity).
“Developed a port and constructed two quays with a load bearing capacity of 25 tonnes/ sq metres to bring Over Dimensional Cargoes close to the site directly. The company also constructed two more quays in the port with a capacity to handle up to Panamax vessels to export the fertiliser and the petrochemicals and two quays to handle liquid cargoes. The port will thus have six quays, including a Roll-on/Roll-off quay”, the sheet added.
[Leadership]
- Says It Was A Workplace Accident
The Minister of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tony Mwaba Kazadi, has reportedly impregnated his deputy, Aminata Namasia.
Najia News reports that Kazadi, who has admitted to impregnating his deputy minister, said it was a workplace accident.
It was gathered from a local newspaper, The Street Journal, that Kazadi’s deputy has however debunk the development on her Twitter page.
According to the report, Namasia said tarnishing her image should not be a tolerable act because it could harm not only her commitments but also the image of her married male colleagues and their homes.
She noted that beyond her official and public duties, she has a life that must be respected by all; a right she said is guaranteed to all Congolese by their constitution.
She said, “On the eve of the electoral contests scheduled for December of this year, political detractors can attack my opinions and political actions rather than opting for practices tending to smear my person.”
However, while reports have it that Namasia, who was said to have been appointed as National Deputy Minister of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education in the Jean-michel Sama Lukonde’s cabinet on April 12, 2021, is allegedly in an affair with his principal despite both of them are married
According to The Heritage Times, a DRC journalist, Lungila John, who took to Twitter to reveal the affair between both officials which resulted in the deputy education minister’s pregnancy.
Also , Street Journal had also quoted “a trusted Congolese” identified as Nugandu as debunking the story, saying it is all part of the political drama of the DRC.
Bilateral trade volumes hit $15b yearly
Indian companies have cumulatively invested $20billion into the Nigerian economy by way of setting manufacturing companies and creating jobs.
Its Consulate-General, Lagos, Mr Shri Chandramouli Kern, in an email note with The Nation, also said Nigeria is also the biggest trading partner of India with trading volumes hovering around $15billion yearly.
The envoy, who was at the Securex West Africa Exhibition held at Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos Island, when he visited the stand of Virdi Nigeria, said: “India is the biggest trading partner of Nigeria. Our bilateral trade hovers around $15 billion per year.The cumulative investment of Indian companies in Nigeria is to the tune of $20 billion.”
He said Indian companies are contributing positively to the growth of Nigeria’s economy, adding that the bilateral relation will continue to grow from strength to strength.
“Indian companies are doing good in several sectors. I was very much impressed with the presence of several Indian-led companies in Securex 2023, which is one of the biggest such exhibitions in Africa.
“Technology related to access control through biometrics and security through artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras is mandatory in the present scenario. Companies like Virdi Nigeria and others are offering state of the art solutions for home and enterprises. Arvind Mills were also present with their fire retardant clothings which is essential in the oil and gas Industry,” he said.
India’s exports to Nigeria include mineral fuels, oils, distillation products, machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers, vehicles other than railway, tramway, pharmaceutical products, electrical, electronic equipment, and paper and paperboard.
Others are articles of pulp, paper and board, organic chemicals, Animal, vegetable fats and oils, cleavage products, articles of iron or steel, miscellaneous chemical products, Optical, photo, technical, medical apparatus, tanning, dyeing extracts, tannins, derivatives, pigments, iron and steel, inorganic chemicals, precious metal compound, isotope, They are also textile articles, sets, worn clothing, aluminum and many others including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatics invertebrates, aircraft, and spacecraft
Outgoing Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai says he did not steal a Kobo from the state’s treasury in his nearly eight years in office.
“I can swear I never stole a Kobo from the government coffers,” El-Rufai claimed during his valedictory media chat at the weekend in Kaduna.
He challenged his predecessors to come out and swear with Holy Qur’an that they never stole from the government during their tenures.
The governor was responding to criticisms of his performance in office and an allegation by former Governor Ahmed Makarfi that his (El-Rufai) government served nine of his companies with demolition notices.
But the outgoing governor said some of his predecessors used stolen public resources to build houses in Kaduna and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
To justify his claim, that he did not enrich himself, El-rufai said that the only house he built before he became a governor was the same one he would retire to from next Monday, the day his tenure would elapse.
He alleged that a former governor whose name he did not mention used public resources to build a mansion on Jabi Road in the ancient city.
El-Rufai said, “I am happy with what we have seen. The work we have started and the quality of the work, we are going to spend years enjoying them. It is not the type of roads they did in the past that, after two rainy seasons, the roads will spoil. These works we are doing, we are doing them with quality.
“Am happy with what I have seen, but there is still more to be done because, to us, we want people to enter Kaduna and see no untarred road anywhere.
“We want to see tarred roads in every community of Kaduna with solar street lights, same for Kafanchan, Zaria and our local government areas. That was our wish, but the difficult circumstance our government met, we couldn’t do everything we planned to do, until we had to borrow before we could do what we did.
“But those that are the day we took loans, they should look, look at their money on the ground. We didn’t collect this loan and run away to Dubai to buy houses or go to Jabi Road to build a mansion so that we can sleep well, that is not how we are.
“I became governor of Kaduna with only one house on Danja Road at Ungwan Sarki, now am finishing to the glory of God, that is the only house I have. I didn’t build any mansion, I don’t need it.
“I didn’t steal anybody’s money and I am challenging everyone that governed this state to also come out and swear with the Qur’an that, when they governed the state, they didn’t steal a kobo of Kaduna resource that is not their entitlement.
“I swear to God, me I will do that swearing. So, I am challenging all of them, everyone should come out and face the people of Kaduna State and tell them he didn’t steal their money. Because we know them, they are children of Santa, they are not children of Dangote; we know them from school.
“Where did they get money to build those mansions? What type of business were they doing? We know.
“Our plans and antecedents are not like that. Our own understanding is that leadership is a trust from God and to you will stand in front of God to give an account.
“As a result of that, every Naira and Kobo that we got, whether revenue or allocation from Abuja or loan, I swear by God, we have used it for the development of our people. We didn’t take and put in our pockets or take them to buy houses in Dubai, we don’t need that.”
El-Rufai, however, advised persons whose primary motivation for entering politics is personal enrichment, to steer clear of the political arena. He stated that politics is meant for those who are content and genuinely committed to serving the people.
He also expressed concern over the practice of voters accepting money before casting their ballots.
His words: “What happened in the last election surprised me. My hope is that in the next few years, those who do not understand will understand that politics is about leadership, not enrichment. Politics is about serving the people so if you are looking for personal enrichment do not go into politics.
“If you need money to buy clothes avoid politics, Politics is for those with contentment; politics is for those who want to serve the people. I hope people will understand that because what I saw scared me. I saw good people that contested but lost the election. They lost simply because a voter was given N5,000 on election day.
“Think about it whoever gives you money during an election to vote for him. You should remember that you have given him a key to the treasury for the next four years to return his N5,000. “
Fear fever has gripped senior officials in aviation agencies following reports on their likely reorganistion by the Aviation Ministry this week.
Sources within the aviation ministry hinted that the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, is shopping for replacement for the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). The agency has been without a substantive chief executive for more than a year.
It was learnt that the minister may bypass the acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Mathew Lawrence Pwajok, to deploy a senior official from the ministry to take over.
Besides NAMA, sources hinted that the job erasure will also spread to the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), known formerly as the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB).
It was unclear whether the sweeping changes will consume the office of the NCAA Director-General, whose tenure is granted by legislation and other international instruments.
The Nation learnt that last week’s resignation of the Director of Airworthiness Standards, Kayode Isiaka Ajiboye, has unsettled the sector.
Ajiboye resigned over the recruitment of unqualified safety inspectors into the sensitive unit of the NCAA.
The resignation will force the government to offload some personnel from the NCAA.
Captain Rabiu Yadudu was at the weekend relieved as the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) after the expiration of his tenure.
Seven out of the eight directors were also removed.
The development in FAAN has heightened anxiety among personnel in NAMA, NCAA, NSIB and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).
Our source hinted that besides the Chief Executive Officers of the agencies, directors they were brought in a few years ago will he shown the way out.
The looming sack will affect a directorate in NCAA, which was recently embroiled in a N2 billion fraud on infractions bordering on duty tour allowances.
The EFCC invited and quizzed key personnel, including the Director of Finance and some general managers in the Accounts/Finance unit of the regulatory agency.
The NCAA will also be in the eye of the storm because of the circumstance surrounding the issuance of Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC), to shaky start up carrier – NG Eagle Airlines.
The carrier, which was packaged by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) , out of beleaguered Arik Air.
Sources hinted that the Ministry of Aviation is working behind the scene to use it to facilitate the controversial national carrier touted to take off before May 29, 2023.
Experts familiar with the processes of delivering a new airline say Nigeria Air is yet to secure operating aircraft, offices and workers for an airline billed to hit the skies before May 29, 2023.
Investigations reveal the NCAA does not have sufficient documentation on the carrier – in terms of the five stage process it requires to by airborne.
Last month, lawyer to indigenous carriers umbrella body -Airline Operator of Nigeria (AON): Nureini Jimoh Chambers wrote the regulator not to issue an AOC to promoters of Nigeria Air. The letter was signed by Abubakar Nuhu Ahmad.
Citing ongoing litigation, the AON said issuing the required certification to the carrier will not augur well for the country’s image.
The letter titled: “Notification of Court Orders”, hinted that it was putting NCAA on notice to save itself from available consequences of and disobedience of court orders.
Seven days to the expiration of the incumbent government, no aircraft branded in the livery of the proposed Nigeria Air has been sighted on the tarmac at any airport across the country.
Members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) yesterday announced the suspension of their five-day warning strike. The strike began on May 17.
The decision followed last Friday’s reconciliation meeting between the association and the Federal Government, represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.
During the meeting, the parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
After consulting with its members, the NARD decided to resume work today. It gave the government another two weeks ultimatum to meet its members’ demands.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the association is expected to reconvene by June 2 at its general meeting to decide on the next line of action.
Earlier, the NARD threatened to declare an indefinite strike should the government further default in its agreement within the two-week window.
On April 29, the association issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands. The 14-day notice ended on May 13.
The NARD began its warning strike over its unmet demands on May 17. The strike would have ended today.
Among others, the association is seeking:
· 200 per cent review of their Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS)
· Payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF)
· Issuance of a circular by the House of Representatives jettisoning the bill by Hon. Ganiyu Johnson, which seeks to stop young doctors from leaving the country without a five-year service period.
· Issuance of a circular by the Federal Ministry of Health for replacement of doctors and nurses that have left the system with new ones, and the payment of salary arrears
· Improvement in hazard allowance by state governments.
“Strike is suspended. Work resumes at 8am tomorrow (today). The progress made will be reviewed on 2nd June 2023 during our general meeting, where the next line of action will be decided”, President of the association, Dr. Emeka Orji, told The Nation last night.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja last week ordered the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to account for the spending of $460 million Chinese loan to fund the failed Abuja Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) project.
The Court also ordered the government to publish the total amount of money paid to Chinese and local companies and contractors and specific details of the names of the companies and contractors and status of the implementation of the project.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) disclosed this on Sunday in a statement made available to THE WHISTLER in Lagos.
Justice Emeka Nwite made the orders while delivering judgment in a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1447/2019 brought by SERAP.
It would be recalled that SERAP had in December 2019 filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed over failure to disclose information and specific documents on the total amount of money paid to contractors from the $460 million loan obtained in 2010 from China to fund the Abuja CCTV project.
Ahmed had disclosed that Nigeria was servicing the loan, adding that she had no explanations on the status of the project.
In his judgment, Justice Nwite agreed with SERAP that there is a reasonable cause of action against the government, adding that accounting for the spending of the $460 million Chinese loan is in the interest of the public.
Justice Nwite also said that the Minister of Finance is in charge of the finance of the country and cannot by any stretch of imagination be oblivious of the amount of money paid to the contractors for the Abuja CCTV contract and the money meant for the construction of the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
Justice Nwite also ordered the government to provide the details clarifying whether the sum of N1.5 billion Naira paid for the failed contract meant to construct the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) was part of another loan obtained from China.
“SERAP’s core objectives are to promote human rights, transparency and accountability and anticorruption in Nigeria.”
“I am of the humble view that there is a reasonable cause of action against the government [through the Minister of Finance] and I so hold that SERAP has made out a case to be entitled to the reliefs sought.”
“The law is well settled that where a document or letter is sent by post, it is the law that same is taken or presumed to have been delivered.”
“Following this principle of law and relying on exhibit OS2, SERAP’s Freedom of Information request sent to Ms Ahmed is deemed to have delivered. Therefore, the averment by the government [through her] that they were not served with the letter is hereby discountenance. I so hold,” Justice Nwite’s judgment read partly.
Joined as defendants in the suit are Ms Ahmed and the Minister of Police Affairs.
Reacting to the court judgement, the statement quoted SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare as saying: “The onus is now on President Buhari to immediately comply with the court’s orders. We commend Justice Nwite for his courage and wisdom, and urge President Buhari and Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to immediately obey the court orders.”
“This is a victory for justice, rule of law, transparency and accountability. The judgment shows the way forward in the fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators. We will do everything within the law to ensure full compliance by President Buhari with this ground-breaking judgment on Chinese loans.”
“We call on President Buhari to use the judgment as the basis for publishing details of spending of all Chinese loans and other loans obtained by his government since May 2015.”
Nigeria’s total borrowing from China climbed from $1.39 billion to $4.29 billion between June 2015 and December 2022, according to data from Debt Management Office (DMO).
Nigeria’s 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) revealed earlier in this year that the Federal Government will spend N6.31 trillion on debt servicing in 2023, which amounts to about 74.6% of the government’s projected revenue of 8.46 trillion for the year.
There are reports that Nigeria risks losing key national assets to China in the event that it defaults in paying back loans obtained from China.
There are also reports that the country may have defaulted on Chinese loan repayment and stands the risk of paying a penalty amounting to N41.31 billion.
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Charles Eze lived with his family in London, United Kingdom until December 10, 2022 when he returned to Nigeria after his involvement in a drug related offence, an investigation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) revealed on Sunday.
Things however, changed for Eze on May 16, when operatives of the NDLEA intercepted an “illicit drug consignment weighing 30.10 kilograms with a street value of N567million”.
The large consignment of methamphetamine, was concealed in powdered custard containers as part of a consolidated cargo going to London.
Consequently, the operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the Lagos International airport carried out a follow-up operations, and arrested a freight agent, Nwobodo Chidiebere and a female suspect, Chioma Akuta.
Two days after, on May 18, operatives of the NDLEA tracked Eze, the drug lord behind the shipment to Sotel Suites in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos where he was lodged as a guest.
“Eze claims he’s a businessman and deals in articles in Onitsha, Anambra State,” the NDLEA revealed in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Femi BabaFemi.
Eze also claimed to have been living in hotels since his return to Nigeria last December, but the NDLEA tracked his residence to a mansion located at No. 1 Hawawu Abikan Street, Lekki, on May 19.
The agency said its operatives had conducted a search and recovered his travel and property documents among others.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Mohammed Marwa had commended operatives for tracking and arresting the drug kingpin, Eze.
In another development, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa had arrested a notorious drug dealer, Prince Ikechukwu Uzoma, in Mubi area of the state with 1kg of skunk.
Before his arrest on May 15, Ikechukwu had twice been arrested in the past, and convicted for the same offence.
Operatives had arrested him in 2017, and sentenced him to six months imprisonment. In 2019, he was again sent to two years in jail.
PERSONAL loans declined to N1.75tn in the fourth quarter of 2022 from N1.85tn in the previous quarter, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The CBN, in its economic report for the fourth quarter of 2022, noted that there was a total decline in consumer credit due to higher borrowing costs.
It stated that consumer credit, which consisted of personal and retail loans, declined by 3.5 per cent from N2.4tn in Q3 to N2.32 in Q4 2022.
The report read, “Consumer credit declined owing to the effect of higher cost of borrowing following the 250-basis points policy rate hike that characterised the period. Consumer credit declined by 3.5 per cent to N2,318.63 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 from N2,402.67 billion recorded at the preceding quarter. Consequently, consumer credit as a share of total claims on the private sector declined by 0.6 percentage point to 8.1 per cent, from 8.7 per cent in the preceding quarter.”
It was further disclosed that personal loans accounted for 75.6 per cent of the total consumer credit, while retail loans accounted for 24.4 per cent in Q4.
This decrease in consumer credit occurred due to the tightening monetary policies of the CBN to curb inflation.
The central bank has hiked the interest rate six times since last year from 11.5 per cent to 19 per cent.
[NaijaNews]
House of Representatives member-elect, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin, has revealed that President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu consulted Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje before meeting the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in France.
Ripples Nigeria reports that Tinubu and Kwankwaso met in France on Monday for four hours.
After the meeting, a leaked audio started making the rounds, in which Ganduje supposedly expressed reservations over the meeting, saying Tinubu had decided to see Kwankwaso, his estranged benefactor, as an alternative.
In a leaked audio with Ibrahim Masari, a former Vice-Presidential Placeholder of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ganduje had said Tinubu ought to consult or invite him to the meeting with Kwankwaso.
However, Jibrin, who was at the meeting in France, in an interview with Daily Trust on Saturday, said Ganduje confirmed to him that Tinubu consulted him before the meeting took place.
“Like every other Nigerian, I was very shocked when I listened to that audio but I think the most important thing is that I want to confirm to you that Governor Ganduje was consulted.
“And he himself confirmed this to me, told me in clear words that the President-elect invited him and told him that he is planning meeting with Kwankwaso and asked he Ganduje if he had any objections to it, and Ganduje told me that he told the President-elect that he has no any objection.
“So it is extremely unfair for the president-elect to be portrayed in bad light before the public by Governor Ganduje who knows very well that the president consulted him before that meeting because he confirmed that to me clearly.
“It is very very unfair to the president-elect, and I do not believe that the Mr president will abandon anyone who supported him… but again, what is paramount is national unity, cohesion and development.”
The Kano State government, in a statement by the state Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, has, however, denied the authenticity of the leaked audio, blaming it on mischief makers.
[RipplesNigeria]
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has accused the media of playing different roles, positive and negative, in the just concluded 2023 general elections, even as he lamented the sudden resurgence of banditry and other forms of insecurity across the country shortly after the 2023 general elections.
Speaking as co-chair at the second quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), in Abuja, on Thursday, with the theme “media and effective nation building” Sultan stressed that media is a critical stakeholder in nation building, hence they should be involved in all activities and programmes of the government.
He said: “Take a look at what’s happening across the countries of the world where the media compromise in quality, facts and truth. it’s unfortunate that Sudan is passing through war and the role of the media is crucial in ending or prolonging the war.
“The media played a different role in the 2023 elections. The media will also play a crucial role in the coming administration. So, we expect to hear from the media professionals on their challenges and expectations and pass the message to the incoming government.
“Unfortunately, the resurgence of insecurity in the country is very alarming. Throughout the campaigns and the elections, we never had these cases of insecurity. Suddenly after the elections, the killings continued across Niger, Plateau, Kaduna and other places. These killings are definitely not related to religion, but the activities of some set of uninformed people.
“Imagine a situation where bandits would invade a community, kill people and destroy their properties, with little or no resistance from the security officials. Only for the security officials to appear long after the attacks and perhaps, to mock the people or look at the ashes of destroyed items.
“Few days ago, it was reported that some United States Embassy staff were killed and burnt in Anambra state. That’s barbaric and shouldn’t have happened because there’s not justification for that.”
President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who is also the co-chair of NIREC, in his remarks, explained that the theme of the second quarterly meeting was designed in recognition of the vital role media play in nation building, and the need to foster unity and a better working relationship between the media and those in leadership for the interest of our country.
He said: “The media can help to enrich the conversation of leaders by providing well investigated and research stories to improve the religious literacy of the leaders, which simply means having basic knowledge of other religions and engender respect for other religions.”
He challenged media professionals to see their jobs as calling and not a profession that guarantees access to riches and fame. “This is the attitude that will help them eschew selfishness and work for the good and development of Nigeria.
He maintained that the media professionals have the power and platform to cause an end to the crisis, and they also have enough information to set different religions and ethnic nationalities on a collusion, hence the need for the professionals to understand the situation in Nigeria.
He commended the media professionals who never compromised quality and truth in their work, particularly during the just concluded general elections.
Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, in his remarks, explained that NIREC is the body saddled with the responsibility of providing leadership for the religious institutions in the country towards a harmonious and peaceful coexistence of the citizenry.
He said the blueprint and terms of reference of NIREC provide the space and capacity that can give Nigeria a national renaissance and peaceful coexistence.
“If God entrusted the deliverance of Nigeria into the hands of Christians and Muslims, then failure to entrench peace in the nation would be akin to failing God.
“I pray that God should continue to guide the leadership of NIREC with a united mission and sincerity of purpose to achieve the mandate for which it was established.”
He appreciated the unflinching support he received from the traditional and religious leaders over the years he served as SGF which resulted in appreciable growth and development of Nigeria’s democracy.
He suggested that more should still be done, especially in the key areas of effective and investigative reportage that promotes peace and unity among and between members of the various religious and ethnic groups in the country.
[Authorityngr]