The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Author: Editor

  • IOCs’ sells their stake in oil block to Tony Elumelu’s firm for $1.1bn

    Three international oil companies operating in Nigeria have sold their combined 45 per cent interest in Oil Mining Lease 17 and related assets in the Eastern Niger Delta to TNOG Oil and Gas Limited, an integrated energy company founded by Mr Tony Elumelu.

     

    Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited assigned their interests of 30 per cent, 10 per cent and five per cent respectively in the lease to TNOG Oil and Gas.

     

    SPDC announced in a statement on Friday the completion of the sale of its 30 per cent interest in OML 17 and associated infrastructure to TNOG Oil and Gas for a consideration of $533m.

     

    The oil major said the completion followed the receipt of all approvals from the relevant authorities of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

     

    TNOG Oil and Gas is a related company of Heirs Holdings Limited and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, both of which have Elumelu as their chairman.

     

    “A total of $453m was paid at completion with the balance to be paid over an agreed period. SPDC will retain its interest in the Port Harcourt Industrial and Residential Areas, which fall within the lease area,” the SPDC said.

     

    The company said it was committed to transfer OML 17 in an orderly and responsible manner to the new owner, which would help to provide a sustainable long-term plan to unlock its full potential.

     

    “As with previous divestments, we will facilitate a successful transition to new ownership. Shell has been in Nigeria for over 60 years and remains committed to a long-term presence here,” said the Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chairman of Shell companies in Nigeria, Mr Osagie Okunbor.

     

    Heirs Holdings said in a statement that TNOG Oil and Gas would have sole operatorship of the asset.

     

    It described the transaction as one of the largest oil and gas financings in Africa in more than a decade, with a financing component of $1.1bn provided by a consortium of global and regional banks and investors.

    It said the deal also involved Schlumberger as a technical partner and the trading arm of Shell as an offtaker.

    OML 17 has a current production capacity of 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and, 2P reserves of 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with an additional one billion barrels of oil equivalent resources of further exploration potential, according to the statement.

     

    The Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Elumelu, said, “We have a very clear vision: creating Africa’s first integrated energy multinational, a global quality business, uniquely focused on Africa and Africa’s energy needs.

     

    “The acquisition of such a high-quality asset, with significant potential for further growth, is a strong statement of our confidence in Nigeria, the Nigerian oil and gas sector and a tribute to the extremely high-quality management team that we have assembled.

     

    “As a Nigerian, and more particularly an indigene of the Niger Delta region, I understand well our responsibilities that come with stewardship of the asset, our engagement with communities and the strategic importance of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. We see significant benefits from integrating our production, with our ability to power Nigeria, through Transcorp, and deliver value across the energy value chain.”

     

    Elumelu thanked Shell, Total and ENI for the professionalism of the process, the Federal Government, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the NNPC for  the confidence placed in the company.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Armed Forces Day: PDP and APC butt heads over the issue of insecurity in Nigeria

    The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday clashed over the worsening insecurity in Nigeria.

    This was as the nation marked the 2021 edition of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

    While the APC urged Nigerians to avoid playing politics with the issue of security, the PDP advised the APC to end propaganda and secure Nigerians lives.

    The APC made its appeal to Nigerians in a statement titled, “#AFRD2021: APC Hails Military Successes, Remembers Fallen Heroes,” signed by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Akpanudoedehe.

    The statement commended officers and men of the military for laying down their lives in the defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

    The statement read in part, “We congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on many visible and verifiable achievements of the military in the ongoing fight against insurgency and violent crimes in Nigeria as contained in the compendium: “Security Checklist: As Nigeria marks Armed Forces Remembrance Day’’, released to the public on Thursday.

     

    “From the country’s 30-month civil war which ended on January 15, 1970 to the fight against terrorism, banditry and other emerging violent crimes, many servicemen have paid the supreme price for our safety, peace and unity.

    “We pray for the protection of the living and remember the departed heroes and their families left behind.

    “From international peace keeping missions to addressing security incidents within the country and overall discharge of its constitutional responsibilities, the military has undoubtedly made the country proud.

     

    “Several innovations and inventions by the Armed Forces have resulted in the production of military hardware, infrastructural development, restructuring and reorganisation of its operations.

    The party credited the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), for investing in military hardware, intelligence and tactical training for servicemen.

    Akpanudoedehe also said, “We must collectively shun the practice of politicising issues of security and the efforts of our security services particularly the Armed Forces to keep the country safe. We should rather support their efforts to further degrade the capacity of terrorists and other criminal elements.

     

    “We invite all Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the patriotic call contained in our national anthem which reads in part: “The labours of our heroes past, shall never be in vain”.

     

    In response, the PDP which also paid glowing tributes to Nigeria’s fallen heroes said Nigerians deserve better than what the Buhari regime was currently listing as achievements in the area of security.

     

    The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan told Saturday PUNCH, “Our gallant military men and women deserve all the accolades today and always for the sacrifices they made in the past and they are making today under very difficult conditions, they deserve better.”

    Ologbondiyan further said, “How does President Buhari want an unmerited pass mark knowing that under his watch, bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and vandals, who have been pushed to the fringes before he took over in 2015, have now resurged, taking communities hostage, raping our women, beheading our compatriots and foisting a reign of terror to the extent that our nation ranked as the third country with the highest level of terrorism in 2019, after Iran and Afghanistan?”

    Meanwhile, the doves, otherwise known as white pigeons, released by Buhari at the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony, refused to fly despite multiple attempts by the President thereby sparking a debate on social media on Friday.

     

    The President had opened the bird cage at the National Arcade, picked up one of the doves and thrown it into the air but the bird landed atop the cage and refused to fly.

     

    Buhari, who was eager to let the white pigeons fly, opened the roof of the cage in a bid to send them all out but the birds remained adamant and decided to sit on top of the cage’s roof.

    The President, who appeared tired of trying, soon left the birds and returned to his seat. Moments after the President had left, however, some of the birds flew.

    The ritual of releasing doves is to commemorate the life of a departed loved one and is common at significant events like funerals or memorials. It also signifies peace.

     

    A former Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Adamu Garba, said the birds should be eaten if they cannot do what they were trained to do.

    Social media personality, Morris Monye,said the Department of State Services would have arrested the pigeons for embarrassing the President if they could.

    A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, who is a known critique of the President, also tweeted, “Hmmm. Even the pigeons in Nigeria.”

    Governors pledge better welfare for soldiers, families

    State governors have reiterated their commitment to the welfare of soldiers in recognition of their selfless sacrifices to the country.

    The governors paid glowing tributes to the military personnel at the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration on Friday.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who performed the wreath laying ceremony, at the Remembrance Arcade, Tafawa Balewa Square, commended officers in the military, Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Legion for their efforts in protecting the country against external aggression and keeping the peace internally.

    “I want to congratulate and commend all of our officers in the military and also the Nigerian Police, but, more especially, men of the (Nigerian) Legion and everybody that has participated in this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance (Day) ceremony, the parade, men on guard and everything,” Sanwo-Olu said in a statement titled, Armed Forces Remembrance Day: Sanwo-Olu commends nation’s security officers,’ and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile.

    In Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, called on Nigerians to continue to offer support to pray for the fallen heroes and support their families.

    “As you know, the government is battling with the resources on all fronts. Like the President said, he would continue to meet the demands of men of service,” he said in Ilorin, the state capital.

    Similarly, his Ondo State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, called on the military to collaborate with the South-West Security Network, also known as Amotekun, in tackling insecurity in the state.

    Akeredolu said, “We will continue to give loans without collaterals through the Ondo State micro credit agencies for the widows left behind and other qualified dependants of our fallen heroes who are into small, micro businesses to start up or boost their businesses.”

    Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state urged Nigerian to set aside their differences and form a united nation.

    Speaking at a ceremony held at Heroes Square, Owerri, Uzodinma, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, said the country had the capacity to be great.

    On his part, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, said his administration had rehabilitated a total of 168 blocks of flats for military officers living at Ibagwa barracks in the Abak Local Government Area of the state.

    Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia advised Nigerians to show greater commitments towards the task of building a greater and better society.

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Ude OKo Chukwu, at the ceremony in Umuahia, promised to continue to support the military and other security agencies in the state.

    Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, commended the fallen heroes for laying their lives for the nation and praised serving military personnel for risking their lives to keep the country safe.

    Similarly, the Katsina State Government paid tribute to the Nigerian military for its efforts in safeguarding the state.

    In Cross River State, Governor Ben Ayade acknowledged the sacrifices of ex-service men whom he

    His Bayelsa State counterpart, Douye Diri, also lauded departed soldiers for their selfless service to the nation.

    But the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, urged Nigerians to be united and pray for peace and always live in peace with one another, irr espective of religion and political differences, for the overall development of the country.

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Nnamani; Hero or Villain?

    Senator Chimaroke Nnamani: Whither a Hero or a Villain

    By Prince Ejeh Josh

    In past months, there have been rising but surreptitious battles for the soul of 2023 in different parts of the country. Many political bigwigs have started pitching tent, taking sides, touring the shore of Nigeria in the guise of consultation for their preferred candidates and choice political party. This move is not surprising since it’s not new in the political landscape of our system. Politicking is long expected from different quarters. National dailies and social media outlets are already reminding us that we’re gradually approaching 2023—the year a new history will be made. Hence, the clandestinely fluting of partisan jingles by different quarters.

    Political watchers and analysts have described this metallic discordance as normal and healthy for every progressive democratic political system. What seems to be abnormal, however, is the deliberate assault, calculated blackmailing, vindictive and cruel attacks on individuals in a desperate move to prosecute inordinate political ambition. Democratic institutions provide defined and enabling platforms to engage opposing candidates constructively and reasonably too. This must be done within a line of civility and respect for the dignity and essence of the individual concerned. Any deviation from this principle and rule of engagement is simply a reversion to the state of nature, where animalistic tendency is garbed in human form.

    The recent malicious attacks and campaigns of calumny by some sponsored youths from Enugu East Senatorial District against the person of the revered former Governor of Enugu State and now a high ranking Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, is not only demeaning of human civilization, it’s a savage affront to the good people of Nkanuland. It’s a desecration of our long valued tradition of deference for our elders and leaders. It’s sad that some youths could allow their stomach to be their focal point of reasoning and reference. These set of disgruntled persons, having submitted their conscience for monetisation and also commodify their independent will to think within acceptable paradigm, now turn pawns and objects of manipulation in the hands of their macro and micro-motivated paymasters.

    Senator Chimaroke, in all sincerity, deserves all the respects any statesman and noble figure deserves, especially in Enugu State and Nkanuland. For the record, Senator Chimaroke has always been a Pro-Nkanu advocate, and will continue to be. This may sound pungent and acidic for the sponsored social media gangster and their patrons: the history of Nkanuland can never be told without marshalling the invaluable contributions of Dr. Chimaroke. Although, I’ve never been the Senator’s advocator, but take it or leave it; Chimaroke remains the foremost and number one Nkanu man alive today. History will forever be kind to him in the state, and in Nkanuland.

    Whether one sees Chimaroke as a hero or as a villain, what matters most is that he did well for the people of Enugu state. He opens up Nkanuland for recognition and development. His era as governor of the state, for the first time, puts Nkanuland on the map of the world. We’ve had people in power before him, but where was Nkanu and where were the people of Nkanu then? Chimaroke came and swiftly transformed Nkanuland. Be it in term of human capital development or in term of infrastructure. The hitherto deficit structure and derogatory outlook of the senatorial district got transformed with unimaginable speed. And today, with his long term plan for the zone, new developments and programmes keep springing up. But for the second time senator, the zone would still be wallowing in lackluster and perpetual enslavement.

    It may serve well to remind these social media cat-s-paws and their belligerent guerrilla commanders, both within the zone (micro) and outside the zone (macro), that their success stories will never be complete or gloriously told without recognizing the inestimable roles played by Dr. Chimaroke except they are living in a self-denial. Many of them were picked from the dungeon of poverty and throe of abandonment and hunger to fame and glory by the same man they are sponsoring smear campaigns. However, the ruthless fact nobody can change is that Chimaroke’s shoes and name are bigger, mightier and stronger for anyone to drag. In the end, that name they’re bent at destroying will still be their grace for survival. Let them be reminded too that Chimaroke is a cat with nine lives. He has withstood tribulations not a cent of them would, and he came out victorious. He fought battles that a battalion of political strategists would not survive in the ordinary course of things. Interestingly but sadly, he fought for the people fighting him today. He made them whatever name and office they parade at present. Instead of the accolades he deserves, many of those he helped have turned out to be fiends because of inordinate quest for power. Brutus!

    For the record, Nkanuland becomes a hub of activity today because Chimaroke fought for it. He’s a hardcore Nkanu apologist, and as we speak today, Nkanuland or Enugu East Senator District is adjudged the most developed of the three zones. When he moved Enugu State University of Science and Technology to Agbani, he was merely doing it for the interest of Nkanu people (for those aggrieved about the land where the institution is situate, they should take comfort at the provisions of the Land Use Act, and how a land without no improvement should be treated). He attracted the only Nigerian Law School Campus in the south east to Nkanuland. The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital was attracted to Nkanuland—Ituku-Ozalla by the same man some people have resentfully detested for no reason. In his quest to do more for the people, the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, and its College of Medicine were given a world class attention. This too was at the Eastern senatorial district. Plethora of Special Science Schools and Airforce Comprehensive High School were all erected in different parts of the state including Nkanuland. But the ingrates would not appreciate that because of their fanatic thirst for power. This doesn’t speak well for Ndi Nkanu. This rustic behavior must be weaned by those involved.

    As a Senator representing the people of Enugu East Senatorial District, we’ve seen Dr. Chimaroke rising in defence of the people, more so, the youth. We’ve seen him spoken against tyranny and an attempt to gag the people and silence their voices. We’ve seen the senator championed robust bills in his area of jurisdiction. We’ve seen him awarded multiple scholarships to the girl-child, paying for the West African Examination Council fees for all the girls in his senatorial zone, numbering thousands, at a time of despondency and hardship orchestrated by COVID-19 and economic recession. This is in line with the dictum that “if you want to build a home and a nation, educate the girl-child”. As Chairman, Senate Committee on Corporation and Integration in Africa and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Dr. Chimaroke has vigorously worked for the integration of Africa, forged a common ground with his counterpart lawmakers in other African countries for robust policies that would enhance the well-being of the people. The effect, therefore, is that the senator operates from the international plane, and has broadened his spectrum of responsibility beyond local politics. This is the exactitude of “service to humanity”. It’s a burden the senator is shouldering to make the world a better place for all of us.

    As the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, the senator has also contributed immensely to the development of our youth. Healthy policies have been evolved, since his appointment, to rehabilitate and reintegrate victims of drug abuse into the society. In the face of the monstrous corona virus collapsing the world into untold catastrophe, our ably representing senator has continued to work actively behind the scene with other relevant research agencies to advance a local remedy that would meet the peculiarity of Nigeria environment. This is not forgetting the ongoing road construction attracted by him in the zone.

    With the above in mind, should Senator Chimaroke not be seen as a legendary hero rather than the vicious attacks some people are sponsoring against his person? Should he be crucified like a villain because of his good deeds? I wash off my hands from any condemnation against his revered character and integrity personified. I will add this: Chimaroke is our leader in Nkanuland, and Enugu state. His footprints, despite all odds, keep resonating from all the parts of the state. He made men through empowerment. He mentored almost, if not all, the major political players at the corridor of power today, both those in Enugu state, Abuja and outside the shore of this country, including those sponsoring malicious and unrestrained invective against his person. These young boys who didn’t know where the rain started must be tamed by those bankrolling them. Their owners must take them back into their cage and curtail their wildness. The youth must learn how not to hate a man who has not hated them. They must learn how not to make an enemy of a man who has not offended them. The peanut and chicken feed they are paid today may boomerang to haunt them in the future. You don’t make an enemy because your friend or boss declare that innocent person an enemy.

    Prince Ejeh Josh, B.Sc., Politics, M.Sc., Int’l Relations & Strategic Studies, LLB, NIM, writes from Independence Layout, Enugu (more…)

  • Northern leaders and eastern leaders warns Nigerians against repeating mistakes that led to the previous civil war

     

    A former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi; the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah and the Northern Elders Forum said on Thursday that Nigeria was repeating its mistakes that led to the civil war which lasted from July 6, 1967 to January 15, 1970.

     

    Speaking at a webinar, they cautioned that unless something urgent was done, the aftermath of the ongoing injustice, poor governance and leadership failure in the country would be worse than what was experienced during the civil war.

     

    The civil war was fought between the government of Nigeria, headed by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), and the secessionist state of Biafra, led by the late Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, from July 6, 1967 to January 15, 1970, during which over one million persons reportedly lost their lives.

     

    The online conference with the theme, ‘The 2nd Never Again Conference: 51 years after the Nigerian-Biafran civil war,’ was hosted by Nzuko Umunna, an Igbo Think Tank, in partnership with Ovation International and Njenje Media, while a prominent economist, Prof Pat Utomi, was the chairman, planning committee.

     

    In his brief remarks, Obi said, “We are still travelling on the same road to the same destination. The road has got more bumpy, worse than it was than when they (Nigerians) travelled that road before. If you compare what is happening today and what happened then, what brought Nigeria to that destination in the past has actually got worse today.

     

    “All of those things that made them to participate in what happened are still very much today and getting worse, starting from incompetent leadership with total lack of capacity and character.

     

    You have a situation where corruption is worse today than it was then. Unemployment is far worse today when you have millions of young people in their productive age not knowing where the next meal would come from and the government is not thinking.”

     

    Obi said the elite had to come together and see how to pull the country out of the current mess or the situation would consume everyone, as he likened the current leadership challenge in the country to using Molue (rickety big yellow buses in Lagos now phased out)  drivers in Formula 1, a motor racing world championship.

     

    He added, “We cannot continue with the way we are today; across the entire country, from local government to the highest level, we have incompetent leadership and they don’t have the capacity to solve the country’s problem. You don’t go to a Formula 1 competition with a Molue driver.

     

    “These vehicles of the Nigerian state are being driven by Molue drivers across the country and that is why you have too many accidents. We need to have the proper people who are competent and can do the job. If you don’t have it, you have a problem.”

     

    Kukah, who was the keynote speaker, explained that Nigeria had yet to learn any lesson from the civil war, adding that the frustration and feeling of injustice by a section of the country after the war were still rife till today despite Gowon’s ‘No victor, no vanquished’ statement.

     

    He stated, “I was told of a late general who said were the civil war to occur again, he would fight on the other side. There is a lot of resentment, anxiety and frustration and the feeling is that we have not learnt any lesson.

     

    “About 51 years after the war, we still hear the kind of agitation that ordinarily with good governance, honesty, commitment, devotion, dedication, focus and right leadership; we should have put behind us. Unfortunately, these anxieties are still with us.”

    Similarly, the spokesperson for the NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said at the webinar that unless something dramatic was done, things would get worse. He lamented that the post-civil war elite had substantially killed the country even more than those who launched the country into the “disaster” that ended in 1970.

     

    He added, “What do we need to do? I think we need to recognise the fact that as we speak in 2021, this nation has never been worse than it is, not even during the civil war. I’m sorry for those who felt civil war was the worst disaster; it wasn’t. Today is the worst disaster we are living in.”

     

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    According to him, Nigeria has a very poor leadership that doesn’t care about Nigerians. He stated, “You have massive insecurity; no fresh ideas; you have leadership that is more interested in having power than governance.”

     

    Talking about the possibility of another civil war, he stated, “We need to recognise that when we say never again, it can still happen again. Let’s not deceive ourselves, it can happen again. In fact, (something) worse can happen.”

    At the conference, Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said the problem of the country was the constitution, adding that the injustice in the system had been fuelled by the President, whom he said ensured that northerners dominate key institutions in the country at the detriment of other regions.

     

    He stated, “I don’t want this country to break; I have contributed to the unity of this country before Buhari was born. Since 1950s we have been talking of a balanced constitution. In 1979, I spent one year in Maiduguri, campaigning for the UPN so we could have a united country. I was already a lawyer and there was peace in the western region so I didn’t have to go there, but we wanted the country to be together. So, when we talk about a united country, many of them have not contributed half of what some of us have.

     

    “If today, they agree to restructure the country back to true federalism, there will be no agitation from any quarter, because all the problems we are having now are the products of the imposed constitution. Let us face it.”

     

    Also speaking, an elder statesman Yakasai, who commended the organisers of the event, said he had never been a believer in the “destruction” of Nigeria. “This is a democracy in which the views of the majority would always prevail while the minorities have a right to say whatever they want to say,” he added.

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • The middlebelt reacts as Buhari describes boko haram attacks as occasional

     

    The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, described the Boko Haram attacks in the North-East as occasional problems.

    He, therefore, appealed to his critics to be fair when criticising his regime. The President said they should compare his achievements with those of his predecessors and the problems he inherited.

     

    The  President, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina,  said these while receiving the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Rev. Yakubu Pam, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

     

    In the statement titled “Criticise us fairly, President Buhari appeals to Nigerian elite,” Buhari asked his critics to consider the resources available to the Federal Government under his watch while criticising him.

     

    But groups, including the Middle Belt Forum, Chibok community, the Borno Concerned Elders and Coalition of Northern Groups,  in their separate reactions, faulted the President.

     

    Appealing to his critics,  Buhari said, “Those criticising the administration should be fair in terms of reflecting on where we were before we came, where we are now and what resources are available to us and what we have done with the limited resources.

     

    “We had to struggle paying debts, investing in road repairs and rebuilding, to revamp the rail and try to get power. This is what I hope the elite, when they want to criticise will use to compare notes.”

     

    Buhari also gave his regime a pass mark on the security situation in the North-East.

     

    Although he admitted that there were still what he called “occasional Boko Haram problems,” the President said there was a lot of improvements when compared to the past experience of the residents of the affected states.

     

    He added, “What was the situation when we came? Try and ask people from Borno or from Adamawa for that matter and Yobe. What was the condition before we came and what is the condition now?

     

    “Still, there are problems in Borno and Yobe, there are occasional Boko Haram problems, but they know the difference because a lot of them moved out of their states and moved to Kaduna, Kano and here (in Abuja).”

     

    But a Chibok community leader and  spokesman for  Kibaku Area Development Association, Dr Manasseh Allen, dismissed the claim by the President that security had improved in the North-East.

     

    In an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja, Allen said attacks and abductions were happening daily in the communities in the region.

     

    He said the President should visit the region to have first-hand knowledge of happenings rather than relying on what he was being told by the security chiefs.

     

    Allen stated, “What is his (Buhari’s) definition of security improvement? We don’t know. Maybe, that is the first thing we need to talk about. We want a stop to people’s lives being taken indiscriminately.

     

    “People are paying ransoms to abductors every day. A few days ago, we raised ransom to free our aged father-in-law and the President is sitting there in the villa, he doesn’t even know what is happening in Abuja. Let him go to the North-East and see for himself whether security has improved or not.”

     

    The National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Porgu,   dismissed the President’s statement as untrue.

     

    Porgu, who is an indigene of Chibok in Borno State, who spoke to The PUNCH  in Jos, said security situation in the country had worsened since Buhari assumed office.

     

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    He stated, “I think he is being misled by those he entrusted with the security of the country, if not he would not be saying what he is saying. Let him visit Borno and all those areas that he claimed had improved security wise and see that that things have actually generated for the worse.”

     

    On his part, the Dean of Borno Concerned Elders, Prof. Khalifa Dikwa, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the President’s statement was not true.

     

    He stated, “When people were killed at Auno (in Borno State) last year,  instead of the President to commiserate with the people, he pushed the blame on them that they refused to comply with instructions.

     

    “He did not do his investigation.  He is not being told the truth. The Presidency is not real. There is no Presidency. They are only reactive. They don’t take actions on situations until the people act.

     

    “Those people are not telling him the truth.  Although  Maiduguri is safe compared to Kaduna and Katsina states,  but you cannot go beyond five kilometres from Maiduguri town. The city is safe, but what about the villages?”

     

    On his part, the CNG spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman,  in a chat with The PUNCH, said he was not surprised by the President’s comment.

     

    He said, “Nigerians must by now have become used to the present leadership that shies  away from its responsibility by refusing to look into the huge demands that had been made for the President to address serious shortfalls in nation’s policing and security institutions.”

     

    The Director (Publicity and Advocacy) of the  Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said Buhari was removed from reality.

     

    He stated, “If he is still living under the illusion that any Nigerian is more secure today than they were five or six years ago, it will explain his resistance to improve his leadership of the fight against widespread insecurity.

     

    “I wish there is a way the President will hear  from the people of Borno and Yobe states what their security situation is. But he will not because he prefers to create his version of our circumstances which is quite possibly reinforced by those with responsibility to tell him.

     

    “The fact is that our fellow citizens living in Borno and Yobe states live constantly under attacks on roads, in homes, at work and wherever they are. Millions, more in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger and many parts of Nigeria, have never known insecurity  until this President assumed the responsibility to protect us.”

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • FG bans large gatherings such as assemblies and visiting days, orders schools to observe covid 19 guidelines

     

    The Federal Government, on Thursday, banned overcrowding and large gatherings such as assemblies and visiting days, as schools reopen on Monday.

    It also put limitations to class sizes and hostel occupancy and asked the schools to ensure compulsory wearing of face masks by all students, teachers and workers, as well ensure temperature checks and put hand washing facilities in strategic locations in all schools

     

    The government also asked the school authorities to ensure constant supply of water and sanitisers, and make available functional health clinics with facilities for isolation and transportation of suspected cases to medical facilities.

     

    The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, gave the conditions in a statement by the Director of Press in the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Bem Goong.

     

    READ ALSO: Three LASUCOM students test positive for COVID-19

     

    According to him, the decision to maintain the resumption date is the aftermath of “extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, including state governors, commissioners of education, proprietors and heads of institutions, staff unions and students.”

     

    Adamu told parents and the respective institutions to ensure full compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

     

    The statement read in part, “Sequel to the hint given during the press briefing on January 12, 2021 for the review of the proposed resumption date of January 18, 2021, the Federal Ministry of Education has undertaken a comprehensive appraisal of the situation.

     

    “After extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, including state governors, commissioners of education, proprietors and heads of institutions, staff unions and students, the consensus of opinion is that the resumption date of January 18 should remain, while parents and respective institutions must ensure full compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

     

    “These measures, which are to ensure safe reopening of schools for academic activities, will be subject to constant review as we urge teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders to ensure strict compliance.”

     

    When asked how the government intends to curtail further spread of the virus with the planned resumption, Adamu school authorities would be asked to ensure strict compliance with existing and fresh guidelines that would be released.

     

    He added, “We shall be warning stakeholders, particularly school authorities to ensure strict compliance with protocols.

     

    “For instance, we will have no choice than to enforce compulsory use of face masks by teachers and students.

     

    “We will also make it clear that we shall be reviewing the situation from time to time after resumption with a view to taking necessary decisions.”

     

    [YOU MAY ALSO LIKE] Large crowds: NIMC lists 50 NIN enrolment centres in Lagos, Abuja

     

    Recall that the United Nations Children’s Fund had called on governments across the world to spare no effort to keep schools open or prioritise them in reopening plans despite the increasing cases of COVID-19.

     

    UNICAL inaugurates COVID-19 task force

     

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, has inaugurated the COVID-19 Task Force Central Team for the institution ahead of resumption.

     

    The team, which is headed by Dr Kingsley Akaba, has Dr Paul Odey, Dr Leku Odey, Dr Alexander Peter, Dr Bassey Ubi and Mrs Josephine Bisong as members.

     

    While inaugurating the task force, Obi charged members “to coordinate all the terms of reference as established by the Presidential Task Force and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in the campus.”

    She also said the taskforce would oversee the activities of all sub-committees and execution of their goals and report directly to the vice-chancellor’s office on the day-to-da y activities of the COVID-19 task force.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • River state female shot for resisting rape

    Some gunmen suspected to be armed robbers on Wednesday shot their female victim for allegedly resisting a rape attempt on her at Agip Flyover, Rumueme, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, near the Rivers State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology.

     

    PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim was found in a pool of blood and taken to a medical centre, where she was resuscitated.

     

    Speaking to our correspondent in Port Harcourt on Thursday, the President of the Student Union Government, Rivers State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology, Igwe ThankGod, said security guards of the college, who were attracted to the gunshot sound, found the victim and administered first aid to her before the arrival of the police.

    ThankGod added that the assailants escaped after perpetrating the act.

    He said, “Around 9pm, we heard a gunshot around the flyover at Agip Roundabout, close to my school, and when we went out to investigate what happened, we found out that a girl was shot in her hand after she was robbed of her money, phone and all her valuables. The hoodlums were attempting to rape her when our school security came out and rescued her.”

     

    ThankGod called on the police and the Rivers State Government to beef up security around the flyover to avert a recurrence of the incident.

     

    “We contacted the police at the Sani Abacha Road divisional headquarters and a team came and took the girl to a clinic. But before the police came, we had already taken her to the college clinic, but health officials demanded a police report before they would commence treatment on her, so first aid was given to her before the police patrol team came.

     

    “They said they would be taking her to either the police hospital or the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital so that they could attend to the girl in their presence,” he added.

     

    A spokesman for the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident, said he had yet to  get the details.

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Insecurity and Food inflation in Nigeria, Finding solutions to poor management

    Insecurity and Food inflation in Nigeria, Finding solutions to poor management

    THE coronavirus pandemic has contributed a lot to the current food inflation ravaging Nigerian families. Coming in February/March, the beginning of the planting season, and forcing a prolonged national lockdown, it prevented many of our farmers from sowing their seeds.

     

    Food inflation, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, rose from 16.66 per cent to 17.38 per cent in September this year and getting worse as the year draws to a close.

     

    General inflation in the economy stands at 14.33 per cent. The prices of staple food items such as yam, garri, pepper, onions, rice, tomatoes and others have gone sky high at a time when the incomes of average families have dwindled or run out altogether due to layoffs and pay cuts.

     

    It promises to be a very bleak Yuletide festive period.

     

    The situation we face could have been much more manageable if the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had made good its campaign promise of solving our security problem which is part of the regime’s three-point agenda: economy, security and anti-corruption.

     

    Indeed, the security situation has worsened under the watch of this regime due mainly to poor management and the kid gloves with which it has treated aspects of our insecurity.

     

    Though the Federal Government often beat its chest that it has dislodged Boko Haram jihadists from their captured territories, the terrorists have multiplied beyond Boko Haram, with the Islamic State in West Africa Province, ISWAP, now equally formidable.

     

    The foreign bandits that some evil politicians had brought to fight their turf wars have now turned their guns on residents of states in the North West and North Central, particularly Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna Niger and parts of Kogi.

     

    Also, armed Fulani militias from all parts of Africa masquerading as herdsmen have flooded the forests and farmlands of states in the Middle Belt and South, killing and kidnapping for ransom, robbing, destroying farmlands with their cattle and forcibly settling on people’s lands.

    Curiously, the herdsmen militias are the only terrorist groups that government has refused to tag the terrorists that they are. It has also refrained from deploying the army to flush them out of our bushes.

    All these agents of insecurity marauding all over Nigeria have succeeded in displacing farming communities and making farming unsafe.

    Farmers are afraid to engage in their legitimate occupation. With the closure of the borders and restrictions on food importation, it is not surprising that Nigeria is on the verge of famine.

    If the Federal Government is unwilling to get rid of the armed herdsmen, then it should allow each community to deal with them and allow farmers back to work. Without solving our insecurity problems there are simply no ot her ways out of this problem.

    Source: www.vanguardngr.com

  • Nigeria’s crude oil production fell from 1.33 million to 1.17 million barels per day

    Crude oil production in Nigeria tumbled by 155,000 barrels to a record low in December amid the production cuts by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies.

    OPEC disclosed this on Thursday in its report for January, saying a meaningful rise in oil prices would brighten Nigeria’s economic outlook this year.

    The report showed that the country’s oil production fell to 1.17 million barrels per day in December 2020, from 1.33 million bpd in November, based on direct communication.

    According to secondary sources, total crude oil production by the 13-member OPEC averaged 25.36 million bpd in December, up by 280,000 million bpd in the previous month.

    “Crude oil output increased mainly in Libya, Iraq and the UAE, while production decreased primarily in Nigeria, Congo and Angola. Libya’s crude oil output in December rose to 1.22 million bpd, according to secondary sources,” the group said.

    OPEC and its Russia-led allies, a group known as OPEC+, have been curbing output to support prices and reduce oversupply since January 2017.

    The international oil benchmark, Brent crude, rose by $0.27 to $56.33 barrels per day as of 7:30pm Nigerian time on Thursday.

    OPEC noted in the report that Nigeria’s economy entered a recession in the third quarter of 2020 with real GDP contracting by 3.6 per cent year-on-year after a sharp contraction of 6.1 per cent y-o-y in Q2.

    ‌
    “In the meantime, a meaningful rise in oil prices following the recent DoC (Declaration of Cooperation) decisions along with a positive trajectory from COVID-19 vaccines would brighten the 2021 outlook and lay the groundwork for a hopeful medium-term real GDP expansion,” it said.

    The group said oil demand was estimated to have improved toward the end of 2020, mainly due to successful containment measures in major consuming countries in the region.

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Federal Government disburses N123.3bn to states

    The Federal Government on Wednesday announced the disbursement of another N123.348 billion under its States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme.

    The money is a performance-based grant to the states.

    The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed this in a statement by Mr. Hassan Dodo, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, explained that the disbursement followed the achievement of results by the states in the just-concluded 2019 Annual Performance Assessment (APA).

     

    The disbursement came after the recent one in November, 2020, by the Federal Government where N66.5billion was granted to 35 states which achieved results under another new COVID-19 response Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs): the passing of an Amended COVID-19 Responsive 2020 budget by July 31 2020.

     

    The minister observed that since the first disbursement in April 2020, the Federal Government has so far disbursed a total of N233 billion to the states under the $750 million World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.

     

    The assessment, Dodo noted, was carried out by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) and approved by the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

     

    According to Ahmed, the disbursement included N91.048 billion of performance-based grants for the 2019 APA results achieved by 32 eligible states across various Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) covering fiscal transparency, accountability, expenditure efficiency, revenue mobilization and debt sustainability. States received the grants in accordance to the number of results achieved, with Sokoto State receiving the highest amount of N6.612billion while Kano State got the lowest amount of N1.710 billion.

     

    “Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers and Zamfara states got zero allocation due to their inability to meet the 2019 eligibility criteria which required states to publish online the approved annual budgets and audited financial statements within a specific timeframe,” she said.

     

    She further noted that the 2019 APA results were a significant improvement on the 2018 APA results where the total performance-based grants of N43.416 billion were received by 24 eligible states, demonstrating the substantive progress which states have made on fiscal reforms.

     

    She disclosed that the second part of the disbursement involved a new COVID-19 response DLI: The implementation of a tax compliance relief programme for individual taxpayers and businesses by states by September 30,  2020 where 34 out of 36 states (only Anambra and Zamfara states missed out) were able to achieve the results for this new DLI for the total of N32.3 billion of grants.    Ahmed reiterated that the World Bank-assisted SFTAS Programme is principally meant to strengthen fiscal management at the state level so as to ensure effective mobilisation and utilisation of financial resources to the benefit of their citizens in a transparent, accountable and sustainable manner, thereby reducing fiscal risks and encouraging a common set of fiscally responsible behaviours.

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • The Igbo nation mourns a good man as Ndubuisi Kanu dies at 77.

     

    Ndubuisi Kanu, former military administrator of Imo and Lagos states, former chairman of Ndigbo Lagos and a major pillar of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, reportedly died of COVID-19 complications in Lagos at the early hours of yesterday.

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Chief Guy Ikokwu, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, Afenifere, Iba Gani Adams, and Eminent leaders of Thought were among those who mourned Kanu and described his death as shocking and a huge loss to Nigeria at a time he was needed most.

     

    Also, Life bencher, leading lawyer, and Second Republic lawmaker, Senator Onyeabo Chukwunedum Obi, died on Tuesday, aged 82. Obi’s demise was announced by his younger brother, Zik Obi.

    Second Republic politician and Elder statesman, Chief Guy Ikokwu, described Senator Obi’s death as shocking.

     

    ”This is shocking as I had the last meeting with him at our Enugu Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Ime-Obi meeting and took pictures with him and wished he would show up at the Ohanaeze election in Owerri on January 10. What a pity. It is terrible as we had a heart to heart chat. May he rest in perfect peace,” Ikokwu said.

     

    Kanu, in 1975, was the only Igbo appointed into the supreme military council, SMC, before General Olusegun Obasanjo dissolved it when he assumed office in 1976 as head of state.

     

    He fought on the Biafran side during the civil war but was reabsorbed into the Nigerian military at the end of the war in 1970.

    After retirement, Kanu, who occupied many commands and political offices as part of his military postings, quickly civilianised himself.

    In a swift reaction to the death, Vanguard gathered that the incumbent Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu received the news with shock, describing the deceased as “a great Nigerian.”

     

    A chain of catastrophe —Ohanaeze

    The Professor George Obiozor-led newly elected leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo described the deaths of Kanu and Obi as a catastrophe.

     

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, the apex Igbo group said: ”The Ohanaeze Ndigbo are devastated by the news of the sudden death of our two prominent sons; Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, Rtd and Sen. Onyeabo Obi.

    ”Admiral Kanu was a member of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) in 1975 under General Olusegun Obasanjo. At the creation of Imo State in 1976, Kanu was appointed the military administrator of Imo State where he made indelible footprints. As a robust thinker, he engaged the service of town planners to prepare a master plan for Owerri metropolis; built durable roads and was instrumental to increasing the number of local government areas in Imo State to 21. Among his legacies is the Imo Broadcasting Service, which went on air in December 1976.

     

    ”In 1977, Kanu was appointed the Military administrator of Lagos State. Due to his impressive records, Kanu was promoted to the enviable rank of a Rear Admiral and subsequently, the Chief of Naval Staff before his retirement.

     

    ”At retirement, Kanu founded the RANGK LTD, a maritime consultancy. He was a chieftain of National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, a pro-democracy movement that played a leading role in the agitation for the actualization of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

    ”Kanu at various times expressed profound passion for his people by playing several stabilizing roles in Ohanaeze Ndigbo. He was very jovial, personable but firm and courageous in his convictions. Throughout his career history, Kanu remained untainted and exemplary. We are devastated because Ndigbo and Nigeria will miss his disarming intellect and wise counsel.

     

    ”Senator Onyeabo ObI (82) was a Lawyer and graduate of the London School of Economics, England. He was a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1979-1983. He followed his family tradition in the love for the Igbo nation. His father, Chief Z C Obi was the national leader of the Igbo Union before the Nigerian civil war. He served as the President of the Otu-Oka Iwu, Lagos-a body of Igbo prominent lawyers. During the 1994 National Constitutional Conference, Senator Obi worked assiduously with the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Emeka Ojukwu and many others to produce an Igbo position paper.

    ”Like Kanu, the sagacity and outspokenness of Senator Obi will be missed. This is a chain of catastrophe very painful to bear. May their souls rest in perfect peace.”

     

    Kanu’s patriotic virtues ‘ll continue to inspire younger generation —Buhari

    President Buhari while commiserating with Kanu’s family and friends, prayed for God’s covering over all his loved ones.

    President Buhari also condoled with “all professional colleagues of the gallant military officer, who distinguished himself in all positions and responsibilities during service, taking up more daunting, but historically rewarding challenges like speaking up for the weak and vulnerable, and the struggle for the country’s return to democratic government.”

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said he believes that Kanu’s credentials in serving the nation, as a career military officer and as an activist with NADECO in actualising the June 12, 1993 mandate, remained commendable and will continue to inspire younger generations on patriotism.

     

    Kanu’s death a great loss to the progressives —Aare Gani Adams

    The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams described Kanu’s death as a great loss to the progressives.

    Aare Adams, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said the death of the foremost administrator had robbed the progressives of a man of great honour and integrity.

    The statement reads: “In life, he was a great leader and leader of leaders because he stood for democracy and true federalism, and  even in death his memories will for a very long time remain indelible in the minds of great democrats. He had a strong conviction about good governance. We will all miss him because, I could remember those moments we shared together in our struggle for this democracy.

    “The late Ndubusi Kanu was a model for good governance. He was always present at our programmes, especially the annulled June 12 commemoration, and on many occasions, he attended three programmes in a day.”

     

    Kanu, a fighter for greater Nigeria core values —Ikokwu

    On his part, Chief Guy Ikokwu said: ”Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu was a fighter for the core values of a greater Nigeria and devoted his time to bridge the gap between all our ethnic nationalities no matter where they came from. Because of his devotion to our common bondage he was one of the few Nigerians who governed two states – Imo and Lagos. He fought for the return of democracy and civil rights of citizens as a NADECO leader even when some had chickened out.

    He was a frontline leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and supported the stand of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF’s resoluteness for a restructured template for governance system and devolution of powers. The Lagos State Government honoured him with the Ndubuisi Kanu Park at Ikeja. His family structure is evidently inter-tribal. We had consultations with him on ways to diffuse the alarming rate of insecurities and economic degradation with our new rating of the economic capital of the poor.

     

    ”When I was unable to speak with him as he was out of Lagos in the last two weeks, I was bewildered and proceeded to Imo State for our Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Confab to fathom a new template for a resolution of our existential precepts in our clime. On our return to Lagos State we just found the calamitous realities of our new World Order unraveling exponentially with his demise and movement to the galactic world zones beyond. May his Gentle Soul rest in peace.”

     

    Kanu left indelible footprints —Uwazurike

    Former President of Aka-Ikenga, an Igbo intellectual think tank group, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, said the late naval chief was an enigma.

    ”Admiral Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu was an enigma. He had a soft voice. Yet he became a Commander. Physically he didn’t look like a military man. What he lacked in physique he gained in his brainpower. It is therefore not a surprise that he rose to the height of his profession. As the Governor of both Imo state and Lagos states he left his footprint in the sands of time, he was a complete Igbo man, very passionate, brooked no nonsense and he never stood on ceremonies. He was the chairman of NADECO and was even manhandled by Abacha for his membership of NADECO. We have lost a great man,” he said.

     

    Death of a patriot, good seaman —Amaechi

    Minister of Transportation,  Rotimi Amaechi expressed shocked at the death of Kanu, who he described as a patriot and a Seaman that would be missed by all.

    “It’s saddening. It’s the death of a patriot and a good seaman. May his soul rest in peace. ”

     

    Kanu’s death painful, huge loss —Afenifere

    The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere,  described the death of Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu as a huge loss to Nigeria.

     

    National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said: “It was a very painful death. We have lost a very ebullient, vibrant and progressive someone. There is nothing we can do than to accept the will of God.

     

    “He has lived a fulfilled life and dedicated his life to good causes for which we shall always remember him. May his soul rest in peace and may God protect all that he left behind.”

     

    Kanu’s guidance in the struggle for prosperous Nigeria ‘ll be greatly missed

    On their part, eminent leaders of thought, senior citizens, leaders of civil society on the banner of Project Nigeria Movement led by Professor Ben Nwabueze, condoled with Kanu’s family on his demise.

     

    Describing Kanu as one of their strongest associates, they said in a statement by Comrade Olawale Okunniyi, that: Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, a veteran of the struggle for the restoration of democracy in the 90s was military governor of old Imo State in 1975 and of Lagos State in 1976.

     

    He also made waves in 1975, when he became the only Igbo appointed into the then ruling Supreme Military Council before General Olusegun Obasanjo dissolved it when he assumed office as head of state in 1976.

     

    ”Kanu, a Biafran war veteran, became a dogged pro-democracy activist upon his retirement from the military. As a staunch member of the National Democratic Coalition, which spearheaded the struggle for the actualisation of the late Moshood Abiola’s annulled June 12, 1993 presidential mandate, Kanu was among those who signed an ultimatum’s for the General Sani Abacha’s regime to revalidate Abiola’s mandate and hand over power to him.

     

    ”He was the chairman of NADECO’s Action Committee, which organised and participated in protest marches and public sensitisation against military dictatorship.

     

    ”Kanu until his demise was also a frontline member of the Apex  Project Nigeria Movement, which has Eminent Jurist, Prof Ben Nwabueze, SAN as its Chairman. The Group was initiated to build national consensus and political stability for Nigeria through constitutional restructuring of Nigeria.

     

    Other arrow heads of the senior citizens group, which is currently mourning the sudden exit of Kanu are Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Elder Solomon Asemota, SAN, General Ike Nwachukwu (retd), Dr Kali Idika Kalu, Prof Akin Oyebode, Prof Pat Utomi, Commodore Dan Suleiman, among others.

     

    ”The active guidance of Kanu for the struggle to create a new democratic and prosperous Nigeria will be greatly missed by all L eaders of Conscience in the Project Nigeria Movement, NADECO and in the broad civil society constituency of Nigeria.”

     

     

    Source: vanguardngr.com

  • FCMB Banker sentenced to four years for stealing customer funds

     

    An employee of the First City Monument Bank, Felix Diete, has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by Justice Jane Inyang of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for stealing customers’ funds.

     

    Three customers of the bank had on September 2, 2016, complained that they gave Diete the sum of N6m to deposit in their accounts but the convict deposited the sum of N4m and converted the balance to his personal use.

    Diete was subsequently arrested and arraigned on three counts bordering on stealing contrary to Section 383 and punishable under 390 (6) (b) (8) and 9 of Criminal code CAP C- 38 of the revised edition of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2007, and Section 1(1)(d) of the Failed Bank (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Bank Act, CAP B3 of the revised edition of the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2007.

     

    He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Delivering his judgment, Justice Inyang noted that the prosecution was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

    He subsequently sentenced Diete to four years’ imprisonment on count one, but discharged him on counts two and three on the grounds that the convict claimed that he had not seen the second and third prosecution witnesses  before.

     

    Source: www.punchng.com