Please Jail My Father, He Raped
Me - Girl Begs Police
2 hours ago
A 55 year-old man known as
Osaro has been jailed by the
police in Edo state for raping his
own 9 year-old daughter.
Osaro's wife, Stella said that
Osaro had impregnated their
older, 17-year-old daughter, and
she revealed to journalists that
he returned to him only after he
said has changed and given his
life to christ.
READ ALSO: 2015 Elections:
Northern Yam Farmers To Raise
N5bn For Buhari's Campaign
She said: "My husband wanted to
sleep with my second daughter.
He later succeeded in sleeping
with my other daughter. After
impregnating the girl, he begged
me several times to forgive him.
"He started the church I attended
and confessed what he had
done. The church members
begged me and I accepted him.
He has already paid my bride
price so I went back.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram Camp
Near Maiduguri Still Has The Smell
Of Decomposed Bodies –
Eyewitness
"After we had settled, my
husband started with our
daughter again. The little girl told
me what she was going through
in the hands of her father. I
asked my husband, but he
denied. He said he had stopped
the act since he repented.
"One afternoon, I caught him
with our daughter. I went to the
church and vowed that I cannot
continue with the marriage. I am
tired of forgiving him all the time.
READ ALSO: Tonto Dikeh
Pregnant?
"On Christmas Day, he drove me
outside at about 8 p.m. He was
alone inside with the children.
The next day, my daughter told
me what he did to her. When I
decided to check my daughter's
private part, he wanted to beat
me, but neighbours intervened."
The 9 year-old in visible tears
begged the police officers to lock
the man away.
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
The Military Has My Certificates -
Buhari Tells INEC
Yesterday
The Presidential candidate of the
All Progressives Congress, APC, in
the forthcoming 2015 general
elections, Muhammadu Buhari,
has said he doesn't have his
certificates.
The former Head of State told the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) that his
academic qualifications and
credentials are with the military,
Punch reports.
When journalists visited INEC
headquarters in Abuja on
Monday, December 29, Buhari's
academic qualifications were not
on display like that of other
presidential candidates.
In an affidavit dated November
24, 2014, which he deposed at a
High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory, he explained that all his
certificates were with the
Secretary, Military Board.
The affidavit was stamped and
received by the INEC on
December 18, 2014.
Buhari Tells INEC
Yesterday
The Presidential candidate of the
All Progressives Congress, APC, in
the forthcoming 2015 general
elections, Muhammadu Buhari,
has said he doesn't have his
certificates.
The former Head of State told the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) that his
academic qualifications and
credentials are with the military,
Punch reports.
When journalists visited INEC
headquarters in Abuja on
Monday, December 29, Buhari's
academic qualifications were not
on display like that of other
presidential candidates.
In an affidavit dated November
24, 2014, which he deposed at a
High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory, he explained that all his
certificates were with the
Secretary, Military Board.
The affidavit was stamped and
received by the INEC on
December 18, 2014.
It was a bloody Tuesday morning
for the resident of Angwan
Dauda community in Sanga Local
Government Area of Kaduna
State, as gunmen reportedly
killed a mother of two children
and injured scores of people.
A resident of the community,
who gave his name as Mr.
Bezard, confired to Leadership,
that the assailants stormed the
village in the early hour of
Tuesday less than 24 hours after
the visit of the state deputy
governor, Amb. Nuhu Audu
Bajoga.
It was gathered that Bajoga,
visited Tattauru in Sanga LGA
where unknown gunmen killed
no fewer than 10 people during
the Christmas celebration last
Saturday night.
The deputy governor reportedly
pleaded with the people to be
calm and prayerful as well as
allow peace to reign.
Bajoga, however, expressed
disappointment that another
community could be attacked so
soon despite the recent
agreement signed by various
ethnic groups, women, youths,
community leaders and
stakeholders to halt attacks.
for the resident of Angwan
Dauda community in Sanga Local
Government Area of Kaduna
State, as gunmen reportedly
killed a mother of two children
and injured scores of people.
A resident of the community,
who gave his name as Mr.
Bezard, confired to Leadership,
that the assailants stormed the
village in the early hour of
Tuesday less than 24 hours after
the visit of the state deputy
governor, Amb. Nuhu Audu
Bajoga.
It was gathered that Bajoga,
visited Tattauru in Sanga LGA
where unknown gunmen killed
no fewer than 10 people during
the Christmas celebration last
Saturday night.
The deputy governor reportedly
pleaded with the people to be
calm and prayerful as well as
allow peace to reign.
Bajoga, however, expressed
disappointment that another
community could be attacked so
soon despite the recent
agreement signed by various
ethnic groups, women, youths,
community leaders and
stakeholders to halt attacks.
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
Top Nigerian rapper Olamide Baddoo has no doubt had a very glittering 2014, and to appreciate his own hard works for the year, he decided to gift himself with a Mercedes G-wagon.
The Story For The gods crooner showed off his new powerful white machine on Instagram and captioned it "My baby is finally home … Black range x white G .. Thanks to God and my fans ..
Xmas gift of life .. We done hustle small ds year".
This dude has really worked tirelessly this year, he sure deserves it.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has released the names of the presidential candidates and their running mates who will contest the 2015 elections.
Though there are 26 registered political parties in Nigeria, only 11 parties have submitted the names of their candidates so far and they are;
•PDP: President Goodluck Jonathan and his vice, Namadi Sambo
•APC: Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo
•KOWA Party: Oluremi Sonaiya and Saidu Bobboi
•Hope Democratic Party: Ambrose Albert and Haruna Shaba
•Allied Congress Party of Nigeria: Ganiyu Galadima and Balarabe Ahmed
•Alliance Democracy (AD): Rafiu Salau and Clinton Cliff Akuchie
•United Democratic Party (UPD): Godson Okoye and Haruna Adamu
•African Democratic Congress: Nani Ibrahim Ahmad and Obianuju Murphy-Uzohue
•National Conscience Party, NCP: Martin Onovo and Ibrahim Mohammed
•Action Alliance : Tunde Anifowoshe-Kelani and Paul Ishaka Ofomile
•United Progressive Party: Chekwas Okorie and Bello Umar
Labour Party (LP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) didn't bother submitting any names as they have adopted PDP's candidate, Goodluck Jonathan as their presidential candidate.
Buhari's Aircraft Barred From Landing At Makurdi Airport
A chartered aircraft conveying former Head of State and All Progressive Congress, APC, presidential aspirant, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) and his entourage, was Wednesday allegedly denied landing rights by the authorities of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, in Makurdi, Benue State.
Vanguard gathered from a reliable source that Gen. Buhari, alongside his entourage, was travelling from Bayelsa State to Makurdi to woo delegates of his party ahead of the APC delegates congress scheduled for December but had their flight denied permission to touch down in Makurdi.
According to him, "the flight was earlier granted landing permission but we were all surprised when half an hour to his arrival a counter directive was issued mid-flight thereby forcing the aircraft to head to Abuja.
"What they did was evil and dangerous, what if the plane was low on fuel, what do you think would have happened? Desperation has set into our politics, and it is posing grave danger to our democracy."
When contacted on phone, the Benue State Chairman of the APC, Comrade Abba Yaro confirmed the development describing it as unfortunate.
He explained that loyalists of the party who had laid siege at the airport Wednesday morning were disappointed and had to disperse when they learnt of the unfortunate development.
"We will certainly react to this ugly incident because what they have done was not only callous and wicked but also unacceptable in modern day Nigeria."
All attempts to speak with officials of FAAN in Makurdi on the matter failed as they all declined to comment onthe issue.
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40m Nigerians Can Afford Cars Under Jonathan – Okonjo-iweala
The federal government says it has done so well that in the last three years 40 million Nigerians are comfortable enough to own cars.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made this disclosure in Abuja. According to her, "the improvement in the economic situation of Nigerians based on concrete steps has led to a situation where about 40 million Nigerians are comfortable to have cars."
She then argued that if the tempo at which the country is performing is sustained in the nearest future, Nigeria will become one of the biggest 20 economies in the world.
The finance minister also disclosed that the federal government has so far mobilized over N2.4 trillion from external sources in the last three years to execute key projects.
The monies, according to the minister, were sourced from multilateral agencies with long gestation repayment period and zero percent interest charges.
She spoke in Abuja at the Presidential Public Affairs Forum organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs where she emphasized that government is determined to be very prudent in the area of expenditure finance and has chosen to keep borrowing to a tolerable limit while concerted effort will be made to broaden sources of revenue outside of oil.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also stated that the Goodluck Jonathan administration has reformed the import waiver system but emphasized that the policy was selective.
She said prior to the advent of Jonathan as president, the import waiver system was characterized by sharp practices. According to her, "before President Jonathan came on board, the import waiver system was bad. They were either issued arbitrarily, were lopsided and not good for any economic environment."
She added that three years ago, when she came on board as minister the first issue the president put before the first meeting of the National Economic Management team was the import waiver which he felt was selective, lopsided and led to the midnight visits. "We are happy to announce that the policy has since been reversed and the import waiver system reformed."
She stated that the reform of the waiver system was not the only significant achievement of the Federal Government under President Jonathan. She noted that another key indicator of the positive transformation in the economy was the rebasing of Nigeria's economy, which she said has come after just three years of the present administration.
According to her the positive transformation agenda as championed by the administration has led local and international investors to find the business environment in Nigeria healthy thereby leading into massive investments as exemplified by the likes of Alhaji Aliko Dangote whom she said has invested $16 billion.
She also disclosed that housing refinancing has also been put in place and many Nigerians have already benefitted from it with more to key into it in the near future where young Nigerians will be able to owe houses with payment spread across 20 years.
Source: Leadership.ng
Related Posts
40m Nigerians Can Afford Cars Under Jonathan – Okonjo-iweala
The federal government says it has done so well that in the last three years 40 million Nigerians are comfortable enough to own cars.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made this disclosure in Abuja. According to her, "the improvement in the economic situation of Nigerians based on concrete steps has led to a situation where about 40 million Nigerians are comfortable to have cars."
She then argued that if the tempo at which the country is performing is sustained in the nearest future, Nigeria will become one of the biggest 20 economies in the world.
The finance minister also disclosed that the federal government has so far mobilized over N2.4 trillion from external sources in the last three years to execute key projects.
The monies, according to the minister, were sourced from multilateral agencies with long gestation repayment period and zero percent interest charges.
She spoke in Abuja at the Presidential Public Affairs Forum organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs where she emphasized that government is determined to be very prudent in the area of expenditure finance and has chosen to keep borrowing to a tolerable limit while concerted effort will be made to broaden sources of revenue outside of oil.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also stated that the Goodluck Jonathan administration has reformed the import waiver system but emphasized that the policy was selective.
She said prior to the advent of Jonathan as president, the import waiver system was characterized by sharp practices. According to her, "before President Jonathan came on board, the import waiver system was bad. They were either issued arbitrarily, were lopsided and not good for any economic environment."
She added that three years ago, when she came on board as minister the first issue the president put before the first meeting of the National Economic Management team was the import waiver which he felt was selective, lopsided and led to the midnight visits. "We are happy to announce that the policy has since been reversed and the import waiver system reformed."
She stated that the reform of the waiver system was not the only significant achievement of the Federal Government under President Jonathan. She noted that another key indicator of the positive transformation in the economy was the rebasing of Nigeria's economy, which she said has come after just three years of the present administration.
According to her the positive transformation agenda as championed by the administration has led local and international investors to find the business environment in Nigeria healthy thereby leading into massive investments as exemplified by the likes of Alhaji Aliko Dangote whom she said has invested $16 billion.
She also disclosed that housing refinancing has also been put in place and many Nigerians have already benefitted from it with more to key into it in the near future where young Nigerians will be able to owe houses with payment spread across 20 years.
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How FG, NNPC turned refineries into financial sinkhole
A section of the Port Harcourt Refinery
Despite billions of naira voted for the turnaround maintenance of the nation's refineries, they (refineries) remain comatose, writes STANLEY OPARA
In 2012, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, told the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) that the total installed capacity of all the country's refineries would be increased to 90 per cent by 2014.
In the same year, the NNPC said it would have spent N152bn on the repair of the nation's refineries by 2013.
The amount was contained in the budget document submitted to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) then.
The document was made public after the legislators insisted that the NNPC presented its budget. Two members of the House of Representatives Petroleum Committee (Downstream), speaking to our correspondent in confidence, said the NNPC, normally, did not submit its budget to the National Assembly as its budgetary schedules were not reflected in the Federation Account.
The administration of a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, set aside $369m for the TAM of the nation's four refineries, while the Abdusalami Abubakar and Sani Abacha regimes spent $92m and $216m, respectively for the same purpose.
Alison-Madueke
In 2007, the NNPC claimed it awarded the contract for a comprehensive TAM on all the refineries to a Nigerian firm. The contract sum as revealed by the then Group Managing Director of the corporation, Abubakar Yar'Adua, was $57m.
In 2009, the then GMD of the NNPC, Alhaji Sanusi Barkindo, also announced that the corporation spent $20m on the maintenance of the Kaduna refinery alone.
The NNPC has four refineries, two in Port Harcourt (Port Harcourt Refining Company), and one each in Kaduna (Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited) and Warri (Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited).
The refineries have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day. A comprehensive network of pipelines and depots strategically located throughout Nigeria links these refineries.
No doubt, Nigeria is Africa's biggest crude oil producer and largest holder of natural gas reserves on the continent. But the country cannot make any meaningful use of these endowments as it has continued to import a very significant portion of petroleum products that are consumed within the country.
The unwarranted dependence on these imports cuts across products like Premium Motor Spirit (otherwise called petrol), Dual-Purpose Kerosene, Automotive Gas Oil (otherwise called diesel) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas).
The Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, an arm of the NNPC, was set up to market refined petroleum products in the domestic as well as export markets especially in West African sub-region, provide marine services and also maintain uninterrupted movement of refined petroleum products from the local refineries.
According to figures obtained from the PPMC, average daily consumption for PMS in Nigeria is 40 million litres; AGO, 12 million litres; DPK, 11 million litres; and LPG, 1.2 million litres.
But Nigeria, according to the company, can only refine 5.10 million litres per day of PMS; 3 million litres per day of AGO; 2.10 million litres of DPK per day; and 0.34 million litres of LPG per day.
With this statistics, Nigeria, on the average, is said to be importing 34.90 million litres per day of PMS; 9 million litres per day of AGO; 8.90 million litres per day of DPK; and 0.86 million litres per day of LPG.
By implication, Nigeria is said to be importing 87.25 per cent of its PMS consumed per day; 75 per cent of its daily consumed AGO; 80.9 per cent of its DPK consumed per day; and 71.66 per cent of LPG used on a daily basis in the country.
Subsidy and its implication on the economy
Before November 2011, the business of fuel importation into the country was an all-comers' affair, resulting in manipulations and malpractices that swelled subsidy claims to about N2tn.
Subsidy, in this context, is a form of financial support extended to Nigerians by the Federal Government with the aim of keeping the price of petroleum products low compared to what it would have been in a perfect market situation. Currently, the government claims to be subsidising the pump prices of petrol, kerosene and LPG. Diesel prices, however, had been deregulated.
A total of 128 companies were engaged in fuel importation in the old regime thus providing an opportunity for the abuse of the system.
Enjugu
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency later reduced the number of participating companies to 42 from 128 in the first quarter of 2012, before it was further reduced to 39 in the third quarter, describing the development a reformatory move.
PPPRA is the apex downstream regulatory agency in Nigeria saddled with the onerous task of ensuring uninterrupted supply and distribution of petroleum products in the country. One of its major roles is to approve quarterly petroleum products import allocation to oil marketers and the NNPC.
The volume of imported products also dropped from 5.036 billion litres in the first quarter of 2012 to 4.20 billion litres in the third quarter of 2012.
But due to growing concerns that the inability of these accredited importers to access credits from the banks could fuel another crisis in the system, the PPPRA later expanded the list to over 40 participating companies, since 2013.
PPPRA recently stated that it paid about N832.06bn in 2013 as subsidy claims to petroleum products marketers under the Petroleum Support Fund.
The case of kerosene, however, is different because oil marketers have refused to sell the product at the N50 regulated price per litre. The product, however, is currently sold at- prices between N100 and N150 per litre in filling stations across the country.
Between January and September this year, oil marketers in Nigeria could have made not less than N148.5bn as illegitimate profit from DPK sold to Nigerians.
With the daily market supply per day of kerosene put at 11 million litres by the PPMC, over N550m illegitimate profit is made by oil marketers daily on the product on the average.
By implication, over N16.5bn abnormal illegal profit is made every month, meaning that between January and September this year, a total of N148.5bn had been illegitimately acquired by oil marketers across the country.
This development had informed a recent directive by the industry's regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources that all oil marketers should revert to the N50 per litre price or get sanctioned.
The Director, DPR, Mr. George Osahon, who made the assertion, described the situation as disturbing and warned marketers against such an act, as DPR would from now on sanction any retail outlet caught selling kerosene above the approved price of N50 per litre.
Osahon, in an interview, says from the PPMC price template, the cost price of kerosene per litre is N40.90, with a five per cent refundable deposit (but never refunded) which put the figure at N42.95.
But amid these threats by the regulator, oil marketers have continued to sell DPK at above N100, while clear sanctions for the act had yet to be seen.
The Managing Director, PPMC, Mr. Haruna Momoh, however, ties the price anomaly in the kerosene market to sharp practices of some middlemen in the industry.
He says, "It is the wish of the government to make kerosene available, but our research from when we came is a totally different picture."
The Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, Mr. Babs Omotowa, says the firm has subsidised LPG to the tune of $50m since the commencement of its intervention scheme on the product nationally. NLNG currently supplies some 80 per cent of the total cooking gas consumed by Nigerians.
The ailing state of the refineries
The latest report by the NNPC shows that 153,110 metric tonnes of dry crude oil, condensate and slope were received in August 2014 by the nation's refineries, with an opening stock of 389,440MT. Total crude oil available for processing was 542,540MT, out of which 296,140MT was processed.
Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha
The respective average capacity utilisation during the period was 21.68 per cent, 15.79 per cent and 10.94 per cent for KRPC, PHRC and WRPC respectively, according to the NNPC; hence, a total average output of 16.14 [per cent.
The PHRC is made up of two refineries, with a current combined installed capacity of 210,000 bpd.
The installed capacities of KRPC and WRPC are 110,000 bpd and 125,000 bpd respectively.
The refineries, according to stakeholders, have been operating well below installed capacity as they are in different states of disrepair. As a result of this, the country is arguably the biggest importer of refined petroleum products on the continent, creating a lucrative market for refineries particularly in Europe and the United States.
Considering the local refining statistics of the PPMC, Nigeria is said to be refining just 12.75 per cent of its PMS consumed per day; 25 per cent of its daily consumed AGO; 19.1 per cent of its DPK consumed per day; and 28.34 per cent of LPG used on a daily basis in the country.
Failed turnaround maintenance and NNPC's excuses
In 2012, the total maintenance cost for the Port Harcourt Refinery by its original builders, basic engineering design for the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit and RFCC plant project was estimated at N76.779bn by the NNPC.
The total estimated expenditure for the maintenance of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company was put at N43.12bn; while N32.106bn was to be spent on the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
From the foregoing, the Minister promised that by the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2014, the turnaround maintenance project would have been completed, and all the refineries would be refining 370, 000 barrels per day, which is about 90 per cent of the 445,000 barrels per day combined capacity of all the country's refineries.
In a related development, uncertainties have surrounded the country's plan to build 21 new refineries to boost local refining of petroleum products. 18 of the refineries were to be built by private investors while the NNPC was expected to handle the other three.
The Department of Petroleum Resources had claimed that licensing issues for the refineries had been concluded for a long while, but that their take-off could not be ascertained owing to financial constraints.
Specifically, none of the 18 private refinery operators who received their licences from the Federal Government in year 2002 have started operation.
The NNPC has also not made significant progress after getting a go-ahead from DPR to build three Greenfield refineries in Lagos, Kogi and Bayelsa states after it unfolded plans to do so in 2010.
The Corporation, covering for the three refineries, officially, says the original equipment manufacturers of the country's refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna have refused to come for the planned turnaround maintenance of the refineries for reasons bordering on security in the Niger Delta and the North, and financing.
It claims that the OEMs have developed security charts of the country, in which the said areas were described as high security-risk locations.
This development, according to the NNPC, had made the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the NNPC to go ahead to engage other equipment manufacturers and engineering companies to do the job.
The companies, it explains, are operating in the country already, and have existing partnerships with some foreign partners.
The NNPC also admits that the country had not been getting value from the proposed turnaround maintenance by the OEMs, as the prevailing problem was beyond technical stance.
"These assets require continuous monitoring and intervention. The absence of the OEMs is giving us concern though. But some companies have been recommended by the OEMs, and we are engaging them," the immediate past Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, had said.
The Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemical Company, Dr. Bafred Enjugu, says that aside security issues raised by the OEMs, exorbitant cost frameworks were also being put forward by them.
He says, "TAM must be done within the budget," adding that considering the added security constraint put up by them, this might lead to the Federal Government relinquishing the idea of bringing in the OEMs for the proposed TAM.
"We will put in material, equipment and personnel to ensure the turnaround maintenance happens. Funding is not an issue because it will be done by the owner, which is the government," he adds.
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, describes as false assertions by members of the National Assembly that the NNPC's budgetary schedules are never reflected in the Federation Account. Rather, he tells our correspondent that the NNPC could spend on some projects without getting the approval of the Federal Executive Council.
Experts advocate deregulation of downstream sector
An Economist at the Pan Atlantic University, Dr. Austin Nweze, tells our correspondent that the huge appetite for petroleum products import, which is the norm as of today in Nigeria, is unfortunate because the country will keep advancing the fortunes of other economies of the world to its own detriment.
He says, "That means we don't want our local refineries to work. When our refineries start working, they are going to employ thousands of people. The current situation is not palatable.
"We are building the economies of other countries where we import petroleum products from through that process, while the Nigerian economy gets worse."
He laments that job opportunities are being created for foreigners in the countries where the products are being imported from, stressing that, "This means some people hate this nation and are acting as hired mercenaries, who don't care about what happens to the generality of Nigerians.
"This means there is no hope of growing the economy from within. This makes the country susceptible to crisis, because if there is crisis overseas, there will be crisis within. The Nigerian economy is prone to activities of foreign saboteurs on the international scene."
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, says Nigeria has no business relying heavily on imported refined products as is the case currently.
He says, "First and foremost, it is not possible. We have a maximum of four or five years to put the refineries' programme together and Nigeria cannot continue to depend on imported refined products. But if the government wants to continue with the trend, then we have some serious difficulties.
"The situation can be resolved within two years; it is the question of having private refineries and deregulating the prices of petroleum products completely and totally. In fact, we can resolve it within one year so that the new investors in the refineries can take over."
The immediate past President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Mr. Babatunde Ogun, says, "What do we gain from creating jobs outside our shores and crying of high rate of unemployment? It is sad! The worst length it will take to build a 200,000-barrel refinery is a maximum of four years."
PPPRA's appetite for more product importation
Further justifying the importation culture, the PPPRA Executive Secretary, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, says, "The Minister of Petroleum Resources has been magnanimous in the prompt approvals and releases of the quarterly PMS allocations (in addition to supplementary PMS allocations) in order to enable marketers to make adequate preparations towards products sourcing and importation, thus in the process, ensuring sustained products availability across the nation."
Outlook of relevant federal ministries
The Minister of Petroleum Resources in a recent meeting with stakeholders in the downstream sector in Lagos said Nigeria and other African countries would continue to be net importers of petroleum products despite the availability of functional and quasi-functional refineries, and plans to build more refineries on the continent.
According to her, plans to build more refineries in Angola, Uganda, Mozambique and Nigeria cannot change the situation.
"Notwithstanding the possibility of building new refineries in Africa, including new projects in Angola (Sonaref refinery); Uganda (Uganda oil refinery); Mozambique (Nacala refinery); and Nigeria, among others, Africa will remain a net importer of petroleum products for at least 20 years to come," she said.
Officially, the Ministry of Finance says the Federal Government is committed to the continuous payment of all verified subsidy claims to oil marketing and trading companies and other independent importers of petroleum products.
Labour seeks deregulation
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, in an official statement, says the current drop in petroleum product output from the refineries remains an unfortunate trend for the oil and gas industry.
It maintains that a cabal is benefitting from the importation of fuel at the expense of Nigerian people, noting that the same cabal is working in unison to cripple the nation's four refineries, so that it can be sold to them as scraps.
The union, therefore, urges the Federal Government to ensure that the turnaround maintenance of the refineries is done with adequate crude supplied to them so as to reduce the importation of petroleum products.
The President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Mr. Francis Johnson, says lack of foresight and strategic plan towards local refining, lack of formidable legal framework such as the Petroleum Industry Bill, and huge importation of refined products, were huge setbacks for Nigeria.
"We do not have significant refining capacity and we spend crude oil earnings to import refined petroleum products for local consumption. The four state-owned refineries are not able to meet our local demand for petroleum products due to some avoidable and unavoidable factors," the PENGASSAN boss adds.
While advocating the establishment of refineries by the private sector, he says, "The PIB, which provides for legal and regulatory framework as well comprehensive guidelines for the operations and activities in the oil and gas sector, is stuck in the National Assembly. There is a need for the legislators to consider the bill and not waste time in passing it so as not to further delay or debar investment decisions that can spur development in the nation's oil and gas sector."
Even OPEC feels for Nigeria
Owing to the fact that the demand for refined petroleum products is expected to increase in Africa, a new report by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries says a relatively high level of product imports emphasises the need for new refining sector investments.
The report entitled '2014 World Oil Outlook', maintains that demand for refined products in Africa was set to grow, adding that there was sufficient crude oil production to cover demand.
"Despite this need and the number of refining projects under consideration, there are currently only a few projects already under construction or in an advanced planning stage. The result is that only around 600,000 barrels per day of new crude distillation capacity is expected to be available in Africa by the end of 2019," the report said.
"The need for additional capacity in other large countries has led to the talk of several other major refining projects. This is the case in Nigeria where options range from the rehabilitation of existing refineries to several new smaller projects and a large-scale new grass-roots refinery," the report noted.
"Africa is currently a net importer of refined products and is one of the regions where all key products, including fuel oil and the group of other products, are projected to grow.
The legislature advocates deregulation
The Chairman, Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), House of Representatives, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, says one of the factors that has thwarted the planned construction of refineries is the regulatory environment which forces downstream players to sell products at a regulated (fixed) price.
He describes this as stifling the funding environment, saying most Nigerian banks do not like to invest in long-term projects like the refineries.
"Nigeria is still grappling with the PIB currently before the National Assembly awaiting passage. Private investors have refused to come to partner with the government as they were insisting that certain regulatory issues must be addressed before they can invest," he explains.
He identifies non-commitment of government as the reason behind the neglect of the three Greenfield refineries planned for Lagos, Kogi and Bayelsa.
Peterside describes the Nigerian downstream environment as heavily regulated, stressing that a lot of investors will not be willing to commit their money for projects in such an environment.
"That is not to say that deregulation will utterly solve our problem; but it remains very critical if the industry must attract investors to build refineries," he adds.
Peterside says while the country is planning to attract private investors to build refineries, the regulatory and business environment must be made conducive.
Having identified its mistakes now, Nigeria has the opportunity to retrace its steps and reawaken the potential of the petroleum downstream sector. This will not only boost the domestic economy but also give the Nigerian people a future to cherish.
But if the managers of this economy still believe the best they could do is to continue importing petroleum products massively from the international market, then, we all should earnestly expect economic doom.
FG owes 70,000 workers three-month salaries
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
No fewer than 70,000 civil servants in 30 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government have yet to receive their three months' salaries.
The Secretary-General of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Mr. Alade Lawal, made this known just as investigations by The PUNCH revealed that states like Osun, Oyo, Benue and Plateau are owing their workers between three and four months' salaries.
Prominent among the ministries listed by Lawal during an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Monday are Education, Works, Labour and Productivity, Mines and Power.
He said, "About eight MDAs have been owing workers their salaries from October. The number rose to 11 in November and in December, hit 30, including departments and agencies."
Asked what was responsible for the increase in the number of MDAs indebted to their workers, Lawal said some government officials involved in salary payments were engaged in a game of deceit.
He said, "They are telling us that some of the MDAs are involved in expenditure items different from salaries. They said they were spending on items not related to salaries. But that is not supposed to be the fault of the workers.
"There should be synergy in government whereby they have to work in tandem with the Budget Office and Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. They know what they are doing, they are muddling up the whole exercise and suffering workers unnecessarily."
He said the government had no tangible reason for not paying the workers, having promised to do so before December 24.
"As of December 22, they promised us that before Wednesday, December 24, these payments would be made. But as I am talking to you now, affected workers have not been paid.
"The Ministry of Works alone has about 26,000 workers. If you add them together, they can't be less than 70,000 workers that are affected.
"We have been liaising with our people. But you know, this is a festive period and it has affected some of the trade union actions we intended taking. The promise that they made last week which they also told the press that they would pay before Christmas, we thought they were serious about it. But latest developments indicate that they are deceiving us."
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had in a statement by her Special Adviser on Communication, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, on December 22 promised that the salary arrears of civil servants in MDAs would be paid before Christmas.
The PUNCH gathered on Monday that civil servants in states like Osun, Oyo, Benue, Plateau and Abia had a bleak Christmas as they are being owed between two and four-month salaries.
In Osun State for instance, the Chairman of state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Saka Adesiyan, told one of our correspondents in Osogbo that workers were being owed October, November and December salaries.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Boye Abolarin, also confirmed that secondary school teachers were being owed October, November and December salaries.
Abolarin said that workers were subjected to hardship while politicians were feeding fat especially during the Yuletide.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola, however, blamed the development on the dwindling monthly allocations to the state.
Aregbesola, in a statement made available to our correspondent by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, said, "Either at the federal or at the state level, where is it that workers are being paid as and when due?
"We thought this situation will not last long. That was why we used our strategic reserve to augment salaries for one year. All our savings were spent on augmentation of salaries."
In Oyo, the state NLC Chairman, Basiru Alli, said that the November and December salaries of some workers were being awaited.
He said, "I will not say that government in the state is owing us, it is actually delaying payment of workers salaries. As of now, not all workers have been paid November salaries. Some are still waiting for theirs. We do not know when the December salary will come."
Asked what efforts the NLC was making to ensure all the workers got paid, Alli said that they were told by the government that dwindling allocations from the Federal Government were responsible.
"We hold consultations with the government from time to time and what we were told the last time was that it was not a deliberate attempt to delay the salaries but due to dwindling allocations, the state had to manage its resources."
But the Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, said that all workers had been paid November salaries.
He said, "The state government is passionate about staff welfare. We are handicapped by the dwindling allocations from the Federal Government. We have a wage bill of N4.9bn but the allocation we have this month was N2.9bn. Last month, the state got N3.1bn from the Federal Government. We are working hard to ensure workers are paid the December salaries."
The situation in Benue State is not better as the government is also currently owing three months' salaries.
Before the Yuletide, the government owed workers five months' salaries but it paid two months' salaries at different intervals.
A civil servant, who pleaded anonymity told The PUNCH that a day to Christmas, some of his colleagues received alert for one month salary while on Monday, others received alert for their second salary payment.
The civil servant explained that they could not enjoy the Yuletide due to the debts they had incurred.
He said, "What the state government paid to us was used to settle debts .
"Mind you, we from the mainstream civil service are not on any industrial action but the state is currently owing us three month-salaries. I can tell you that the situation is worse for lecturers as they have been on half salaries for five months."
Investigations by The PUNCH in Abia State indicated that while civil servants in the ministries had received their November and December salaries, their counterparts in the parastatals were being owed some months .
The Chairman, NLC in the state, Sylvanus Eye, said workers in the parastatals had not been paid November and December salaries.
He added that teachers as well as council workers were also being owed arrears of two months.
The state leadership of NLC had about three weeks ago picketed the office of the Accountant General over the salary arrears of the parastatal workers and for allegedly witholding check- off dues of the union.
When contacted, the Accountant General, Gabriel Onyendilefu, said that "the function of payment is dependent on available cash".
He explained that in the past five months, the state's allocations from the federation accounts had been dwindling following the constant fall in the price of crude oil.
In Kogi State, local governments' workers complained that they only received half of their salaries for October and November.
They alleged that they still had some backlogs of salaries that were not fully paid.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, said the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, had informed them that they would receive alert of their December payment on Tuesday(today).
The NLC Chairman, Plateau State chapter, Mr. Jibrin Bancir, told one of our correspondents that the government was owing many workers four months arrears of salaries and leave grants.
The worst hit are local government workers who have not been paid for about seven months.
Meanwhile, the NLC has directed its state chapters to furnish it with actual state of affairs in connection with the salary arrears.
Noting that it was criminal for any government to owe workers their salaries, the NLC said it would take a firm decision in a couple of days on the issue.
The General Secretary of the congress, Mr. Peter Ozo-Eson, stated this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Ilorin on Monday.
He said, "We have not taken a firm decision on what to do until we get actual information on which state, what is owed, how many months and the actual amount from all the state councils. We hope that within a couple of days, these reports would have got to us and we would take a firm position on them.
"We would rely on the reports that we get from our state chapters. We are asking our state to advise us on salary payments and if there are debts. Based on that we are going to collate take appropriate actions in relation to getting those salaries paid.
"We condemn any state government that is owing arrears of salaries because the workers must be the first to be paid before they start spending on any other issue."
Ozo-Eson said it was worrisome that even the Federal Government was owing some categories of its workers for about three months.
He lamented that some state chapters of the NLC did not give the national body a report on time that their members were being owed.
He stated that payment of workers' salaries should be made a priority.
The NLC secretary said, "For us, it is criminal for any government not to pay workers' salaries, accumulate them over months while the governors and other political office holders take their own salaries. Such is criminal. We are also aware that even the Federal Government is owing some categories of civil servants their salaries for over three months.
"This is extremely unacceptable. Whatever is the reason for that! In the case of the Federal Government, they try to explain it in terms of problems with migration to IPPIS system.We think whatever is the logic, those salaries and arrears need to be paid immediately.
"On state governments that are owing, unfortunately some of the NLC chapters did not bring it to our notice early enough for us to know that salaries are owed. If you owe a worker salary for a month, you have no moral obligation to expect workers to come and render any service.
"So to hear that there are states and large number of them that are owing workers for two or three months is completely unacceptable."
My certificates are with military, Buhari tells INEC
Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)
A former Head of State and the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 general elections, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has told the Independent National Electoral Commission that his academic qualifications and credentials are with the military.
A visit by journalists to the headquarters of the commission on Monday in Abuja revealed that Buhari's academic qualifications were not on display, unlike those of other Presidential candidates, including President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party.
But in an affidavit, which he deposed to at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, he explained that all his certificates were with the Secretary, Military Board.
The affidavit dated November 24, 2014, was stamped and received by INEC on December 18 2014.
"I am the above-named person and deponent to this affidavit therein. All my academic qualifications documents as filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015, are currently with the Secretary, Military Board as of the time of presenting this affidavit. The affidavit is made in good faith and for record purpose," Buhari stated.
The PUNCH had exclusively reported that Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo had also told INEC that his Bachelors and Masters' degree certificates in Architecture from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, had been consumed by fire.
Sambo, who is the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, had made the declaration in the documents he filed with INEC and displayed on the commission's office in Abuja, even though the details of the fire that consumed the certificates were not given.
Sambo's papers were received and stamped by the INEC between December 10 and 18, 2014 and validated by two letters from the ABU, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent.
'I will not be intimidated into silence' - Rotimi Amaechi tweets
The Rivers state governor posted this a day after the Department of State Security warned politicians to refrain from making inciting remarks which could throw the nation into turmoil.
OMO Instagram Contest: Auchi Poly Student Emerges 3rd Winner
Igiekhume Precious, a 20 year old student of Auchi Polytechnic has emerged third winner of the OMO Fast Action Instagram contest @omo_detergent Speaking during the presentation of the prize in Lagos, Precious, HND 1 Micro Biology student said "I picked interest in the contest after reading about the earlier winners. I said to myself 'since I use OMO, what stops me from participating? "After trying the New OMO Fast Action and realized its power of fast cleaning action in one minute, I introduced it to my family. My take on the New OMO Fast Action is that it is superb and its t... more »
FG declares January 2nd 2015 as public holiday
The Federal Government has declared January 2nd 2015 as public holiday to mark Eid el Maloud celebration. In a statement released today by the Minister of Interior affairs, Abba Moro, the Federal government asked Muslim faithfuls to offer prayers to God for the peace and Unity of Nigeria.
Nkiru Sylvanus set to wed Oge Okoye's ex-husband, Stanley Duru
Last week I told y'all about a light skinned Nollywood actress who is planning to marry the ex-husband of another light skinned actress (read here). Some of you guessed the ladies I was talking about - Oge Okoye and Nkiru Sylvanus. Yep, Nkiru is set to marry Stanley Duru, Oge Okoye's ex-husband and father of her two kids. Like I said in the last post, Stanley was first Nkiru's boyfriend but while they were having issues he met Oge, she got pregnant and they did some kind of introduction. They broke up and now he's back in Nkiru's life. They were supposed to get married this past Sa... more »
D'banj's fan lists his achievements - and it makes Bangalee very happy..:-)
Always count your blessings!
GEJ to Nigerians-You would praise me when I leave office
President Jonathan says Nigerians will praise and appreciate him more when he leaves office. He said all the criticisms he has received from Nigerians so far is expected of any serving leader. He said it's only when leaders leave office that people will begin to see and appreciate their good works. Pres. Jonathan made this remark while receiving the state Governor Dickson Seriake and traditional rulers from Bayelsa state at the Presidential villa in Abuja today December 30th "I always say that I will not even expect praises now because hardly do people praise serving leaders. It is... more »
Dufil rewards consumers with "Power Oil Pay for calories campaign"
In a bid to care for the health of it various consumers, especially their heart during this Christmas season, Power Oil from the stables of Dufil Prima Foods Plc, has rewarded consumers with amazing prizes on the number of calories lost on the spot at the consumer engagement initiative "Power Oil Pay for Calories Campaign". The campaign which started from the 22nd to 24th of December held at the Ikeja Shopping Mall, Alausa, Lagos. The "Power Oil Pay for Calories Campaign", created an exciting way for the brand to cater for its customers' health in a fun, relaxing and rewarding man... more »
Check out Kim and Kanye's new home
Kim and Kanye West just bought the house next door to their Hidden Hills dream mansion in Los Angeles so they can expand their property ... to nearly five acres According to TMZ, the couple are planning to build a giant park for kids, a basketball court and a full music studio for Kanye - so he doesn't have to venture off to Paris to record his albums. Plus a full movie theater, game room. a spa for Kim as well as a detached guest house.
Why Jonathan did not visit Chibok—Yakasai.
Elder statesman and chieftain of the PDP Alhaji Tanko Yakasai over the weekend explained why he thinks President Jonathan didn't visit Chibok. He said: "Why I think the president's decision not to visit the area is not bad is because we were all aware of the deteriorating level of insecurity in that part of the country. We all know it was too risky for the president to visit Chibok at that time. The president is not a soldier, soldiers are the people that should be sent there. If I was the president and such an incident occurred, the right thing for me to do was to send soldiers an... more »
Timetable and Schedule of activities for 2015 general election
Above is INEC Timetable for the 2015 General Elections. Found it on Premium Times. See the rest of it after the cut...
Coup attempt foiled in The Gambia
There was a failed coup attempt by presidential guards in The Gambia today Dec. 30th. According to reports, some presidential guards stormed the presidential palace in Banjul, the country's capital and shot sporadically in the air. The whereabouts of Gambia's president, Yahya Jammeh is said to be unknown but many believe he is in Paris or Dubai. An army source who spoke to AFP said the attackers had been completely warded off and the situation has been brought under control.
El-Jay drops new song 'Money Dance' & announces the first winner of his $10k giveaway
El-Jay comes back to give a mind blowing jam for music lovers titled "Money Dance" produced by one of Nigeria's finest producers Kue Bounce. No doubt you'll like this track when you download and listen. As promised, El-Jay gives out $10,000 dollar to Mc Armani, the first winner of his Money Dance Video $10,000 Giveaway. Watch El-Jay's Money Dance and Mc Armani's appreciation and dance video after the cut... EL - JAY - MONEY DANCE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R09xo9glNcs FIRST WINNER - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGYmVzW1MsM WINNING VIDEO – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMA... more »
Nigerian man sentenced to death by hanging for drug trafficking in Malaysia
A 37 year old Nigerian man, Ibe Godwin Uzochukwu has been sentenced to death by hanging in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after he was found guilty by a Malysian high court for trafficking 2,150.4 grammes of methamphetamine. He was arrested with the drugs at KL International Airport (KLIA), Sepang in 2011. According to court documents, Ibe was arrested with the banned drugs upon his arrival at the exit Route, KLIA Arrival Hall, at 4.30pm on July 1, 2011. After listening to the submission of the prosecuting counsel, the judge who presided over the case, Datuk Halim Aman, found Uzochukwu gui... more »
Lola Omotayo Okoye shares throwback photos of herself
Awww, she was such a pretty young woman...this was when she was in her 20s.
Get in here guys and see Rihanna's sonogram...lol
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