The country home of the former Vice President.

FORMER Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme has attributed the worsening erosion menace in his community, Oko in Anambra State to lack of follow up after the initial intervention which was done 30 years ago when he was in power.

Ekwueme stated this while fielding questions with our reporter at his home town, Oko, who was there on a fact finding visit over the Oko erosion menace.

The former number two man, who was visibly unhappy over the threat posed by the erosion said "the first erosion control measures done by the Federal Government were done by our government. We did it at Amucha in Imo state, Uyo coastal erosion control and in Gombe among others. We started ecological fund. Ecological fund is the allocation system introduced by our government.

"Unfortunately, when we were hounded out by the military, they did not follow up with subsequent phases but the intercession drainage we did kept the erosion in Oko at bay for 30 years.

"If you go there, you will see how frightening it is. We hope the Federal Government will do something about it. They have already started work on the other side of the valley at Nanka, a neighbouring town. They have worked down to the bottom of the valley separating the two towns.

"But unless they do something inside that bottom line, the next rainfall will destroy all the work already done with N2 billion and all that would be wasted. So it is important that something is done urgently on the Oko side to prevent the work already done on the Nanka side ending up in an abortive effort".

Also speaking at the erosion site, former Secretary General of Ndigbo, Chief Joseph Achuzia said, "you can see that the alarm I raised is not misplaced. I am here at the site waiting for the arrival of the national assembly committee on environment who are coming to see things for themselves.

"I read some of the comments made in the social media saying this and that, and I have no regret to raise the alarm.

"As the Secretary General of IPOB worldwide, I am concerned about what is going on my territory beside the fact that Ekwueme was a former number two man in this country.”

Source: akwaibomnewsonline.com

The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Petroleum Products Prices Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to review the current price template for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with a view to reducing the price to N70.

This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Rep. Abubaker Fulata titled “Urgent Need to Review the Petroleum Price Template”.

Moving the motion, Fulata expressed dismay over the circulating rumour of a possible hike in the price of petrol in the country.

Although the rumour was denied by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Fulata said it was coming at a time when the nation is going through difficult times.

According to him, the hard times are occasioned by dwindling revenues, high inflation rate, unemployment and general fall in the standard of living of many Nigerians.

The lawmaker noted that the current template for the price of PMS could be reviewed downwards without affecting the profit margin of marketers and transporters.

The review would also contribute to reducing the current inflationary trend in the economy.

“I am aware that the current cost of freighting PMS stands at N109.1, Lightering expenses N4.56, Nigeria Ports Authority charges N0.84, NIMASA charges N0.22, Financing N2.51 and Jetty put charges at N0.60.

“Storage charges N2.00, retailers margin N6.00, transport allowance N3.36, dealers margin N2.36, bridging fund N6.20 and marine transport average put at N0.15 bringing the total cost to N137.81,” he said.

He further informed the House that the landing cost of PMS remained at N119.74, while the distribution cost and margins of marketers stood at N18.37.

“Thus, the total of both the landing and distribution costs is N138.11, while marketers are allowed to sell the product within the range of N140 and N145 per litre.

Fulata further noted that over 90 per cent of the current price of PMS in the country is accounted for by transport related charges at N124.34 out of N138.11.

According to him, foreign vessels charge higher for lifting the PMS because Nigerian carriers which were supposed to lift 50 per cent of the products lack the capacity to do so.

He faulted the NPA’s inability to dredge the ports despite collecting N0.84 for every litre of petrol thereby costing Nigerian users the sum of N4.56 for every litre of petrol they buy.

“Bridging is supposed to be an annual event only when refineries are carrying out their turn around maintenance which should not exceed three months.

“However, due to the fact that pipelines linking the various depots have been vandalised or in a state of disrepair, bridging has remained a permanent feature of the oil industry in Nigeria,’’ he said.

He said that if the pipelines linking the various depots and refineries could be fixed and secured, the bridging fund could be reduced to N2.00 per litre instead of the current N6.20.

“Also a realistic template would bring down the price of petrol to N70.04,” he added.

The House therefore urged the NPA to dredge all harbours within a period of one year to enable ships dock in them.

House also set up an ad-hoc committee to interface with the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources on the review of the price of PMS and such related matters and report back within weeks for further legislative action.

Soirce: dailytrust.com

Malam Nasir el Rufai, Kaduna State Gov.

Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has accused the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as the Shiites Islamic sect of refusing to recognize Muhammadu Buhari as the President of the country as well as their failure to recognize him as the Governor of the state.

El-Rufai gave the statement while speaking with journalists on Sunday. He said that the group was outlawed by the state government because its leader Sheihk Ibrahim El Zakzaky and members have refused to respect constituted authorities and their activities amount to running a parallel government against the state.

The Governor says the state received the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that looked into the clashes between the IMN and army which concluded that the IMN poses a threat to the peace, security and good governance of Kaduna State. “The IMN does not recognise the constitution of Nigeria, they do not recognise Buhari as president of Nigeria, they do not recognise me as the Governor of Kaduna state. Because they have their governor, yes, they had, I think he was killed during the clash.” He said the IMN apart from being an illegal religious organisation, was in the habit of harassing and intimidating members of the public with impunity for several years.

Source: vanguardngr.com

Ex President Mohammed Morsi.

An Egyptian appeals court on Tuesday overturned a death sentence handed down against ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in one of four trials since his 2013 overthrow.

The decision is a first victory for the 65-year-old who has been convicted and sentenced in all cases against him since being toppled by then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi following mass street protests.

Since 2013 his Muslim Brotherhood movement has since been blacklisted and subjected to a crackdown that has killed hundreds of his supporters and jailed thousands.

Morsi has been wearing the red uniform reserved for prisoners on death row after being condemned to death in June last year over a 2011 prison break.

"He'll take off the red uniform," one of his lawyers, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsud, said on Tuesday.

Egypt's first freely elected civilian president, Morsi came to power after the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The Court of Cassation on Tuesday ordered that Morsi be retried on the charges of taking part in prison breaks and violence against policemen during the 2011 revolt, a judicial official said.

Five co-defendants, including the supreme guide of the Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, who also received death sentences in the same case, will be retried too.

Nearly 100 others who were tried in absentia are unaffected by the appeals ruling.

"The initial verdict was marked by judicial flaws so we were expecting this decision from the Court of Cassation," Abdel Maqsud said.

Last month, the same appeals court upheld a 20-year jail sentence handed down against Morsi in April in a separate trial on charges of ordering the use of deadly force against protesters during his year in power.

Morsi has also been sentenced to life in prison in two other trials, both of which his legal team has appealed.

The Court of Cassation is to issue a verdict on Tuesday next week in the appeal against a life sentence on charges of spying for Iran, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

And the same court will from November 27 review Morsi's appeal against the same sentence in another case in which he was found guilty of stealing documents relating to national security and handing them over to Qatar, a longstanding supporter of the Brotherhood.

Morsi is being held at the Borg el-Arab prison near the northern city of Alexandria.

Hundreds of his supporters have been sentenced to death in speedy mass trials that have been condemned by the United Nations and human rights groups.

Some sentences have been overturned by the Court of Cassation on appeal.

Islamist militants have waged an insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since Morsi's ouster.

A judge in one of Morsi's trials earlier this month escaped unharmed when a car bomb exploded in Cairo.

And in September, militants detonated a car bomb as the country's deputy state prosecutor was passing. He was unharmed.

Source: www.yahoo.com

NNPC headquarters, often referred to as "towers of corruption".

The federal government plans to list the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, once it concludes its reforms of the country’s petroleum sector, the latest draft national oil policy has revealed.

In the Draft National Oil Policy 2016, released alongside the Draft National Policy on Gas, three sectors in Nigeria’s economy – power, transportation, and industries – will be the key drivers of its new policy on gas.

According to the draft oil policy, a newly formed corporation could sell stakes so long as the government shareholder retains effective control and ownership.

It, however, pointed out that the government’s reform of the industry would see NNPC function more as a private entity with less of official bureaucracies.

Both policies obtained by THISDAY are still being worked on by the ministry and they have also been shared with key industry stakeholders for their comments and reviews.

The draft oil policy stated: “The NNPC will be made autonomous from the state, it will relinquish all its policy making and regulatory activities, and it will be treated on an equal basis with private sector operators for projects.”

“Under the Petroleum Policy, NNPC will be made autonomous from the state, it will relinquish all its policy making and regulatory activities, and it will be treated on an equal basis with private sector operators for projects.

“NNPC will also be restructured into five autonomous profit centre subsidiaries so that the value of separate activities can be realised and operational efficiencies can be introduced,” added the draft policy.

Besides, the document noted: “NNPC will be restructured such that it is fully set up as a Corporation (Limited Liability Company), in accordance with standard international practice for Corporations, including operating under commercial law and a two tier board structure.

“The NNPC restructuring will mean that policy making will become the sole preserve of the MPR (ministry of petroleum resources), all regulatory activities will become the sole preserve of the new single petroleum regulatory agency under the oversight of the MPR, NNPC will be responsible for managing the national interests in the JVs, PSCs and in other upstream, midstream and downstream projects where the government is involved as an investor, full corporatisation and restructuring of NNPC.

“The corporatisation and restructuring of NNPC will involve; separating NNPC into five independent autonomous units (profit centre subsidiaries) which will be operationally independent, self-accounting and will hold funds in their own right, the creation of a new parent holding company to be called the National Oil Company of Nigeria (NOCN).

“NNPC will cease to exist as a statutory corporation and as a legal entity and will be succeeded by NOCN. NOCN will be incorporated as a limited liability company, NOCN will be governed according to the governance rules of the Nigerian Stock Exchange prior to the listing of its shares, and by the rules of any bourse where its shares are eventually listed.”

On gas, the draft gas policy document said the government would be hoping to drive gas development through improved electricity generation, transportation of people and goods using gas as fuel, as well as energise industries in the country.

The two documents, which were released by the ministry of petroleum resources in Abuja, stated the government’s intention for oil and gas in the country, adding that gas would be treated as a stand-alone resource from oil.

“The previous gas policy has not succeeded. In addition, the world is now a very different place from when the Gas Master Plan was put in place. The international gas business environment is much less benign for exporters than it was, finance is much less available (from government or from international investors), and there are significant challenges now facing Nigeria,” said the gas document.

It explained: “Rather than trying to continue with a centrally planned national market development, the gas policy proposes a project-based and market opportunity-led approach as a more effective way to grow gas markets.

“Appropriate frameworks will be developed to support gas based projects, including gas transport pipelines and associated anchor customers or demand clusters.”

It said projects would largely be developed by project developers from the private sector, while the government will set the environment and support investors in gas-based industrial projects with appropriate interventions to bring their projects to fruition.

On Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the document stated: “The intention is for Nigeria to retain ownership of its national natural gas up to the point of delivery into markets.

“The government therefore intends to move to a tolling arrangement with respect to LNG exports, whereby the LNG liquefaction facility is paid a fee for liquefying the government share of gas produced from its assets, and LNG shippers are paid a transportation fee for transporting it.

“Ownership and title to the gas therefore remains with the government entity up to the point where it is regasified at the export market regasification terminal and sold to shippers.”

The document emphasised that gas development must be undertaken in accordance with Nigeria’s national socio-economic development priorities, adding that the government through the ministry and with support from NNPC and industry will produce a Gas Resource Management Plan.

The Gas Resource Management Plan, it said, would identify gas resources in different geological areas, identify current and potential gas markets, identify infrastructure needs, and analyse how best to access low cost gas for delivery to domestic gas markets.

The document also said that the Gas Resource Management Plan would classify gas resources according to the following categories, low cost assets dedicated for domestic gas supply (National Preferential Assets), assets dedicated for export, National Strategic Gas Reserve (reserved for future development) and optional assets (sole risk assets).

Source: thisdaylive.com

MTN Nigeria, has said it will list its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2017.

The company said in a statement on Thursday that the listing was part of a settlement arrangement with the Federal Government.

“The Board of Directors has resolved to proceed with preparations for a listing of MTN Nigeria on the NSE as soon as commercially and legally possible, and has established a management task team with the responsibility to guide the company towards a listing,” it said in the statement.

“At present, MTN Nigeria is targeting that the listing takes place during 2017, subject to suitable market conditions.”

The statement was signed by MTN Nigeria’s Public Relations and Protocol Manager, Mr. Funso Aina.

‎The telecoms firm said it had appointed Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited (together with its affiliates, The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and Standard Advisory London Limited) (collectively “Stanbic”) and Citigroup Global Markets Limited (‘Citi’) as Joint Transaction Advisors and Joint Global Coordinators, with Stanbic acting as Lead Issuing House.

It added, “A full syndicate including Nigerian receiving agents, Nigerian receiving banks and other advisers would be appointed in due course, as appropriate.

“The proposed listing would be subject to suitable market circumstances and conditions and the appropriate approvals from relevant regulators and other stakeholders.”

Source: punching.com

Ex U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul.

Russia has banned Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow under President Barack Obama, from entering the country, McFaul and Russian Foreign Ministry sources said.

Russia has a travel ban in place on some U.S. officials in retaliation for a U.S. ban on Russian officials entering the United States.

McFaul, U.S. ambassador in Moscow from 2012-2014, said he had learnt of the ban when applying for a visa to Russia to help defeated presidential candidate Hillary Clinton prepare for what he thought would be her transition to the White House.

“I have hundreds of friends in Russia. I’m really sorry that these sanctions will make communicating with people harder,” McFaul wrote on social media on Saturday.

In a separate earlier post, he described why he thought he had been sanctioned.

“(I) was told that I am the Kremlin’s sanctions list because of my close affiliation with Obama. I will take that as a compliment! The U.S. sanctioned Russians close to (President Vladimir) Putin.”

“To the best of my knowledge, George Kennan was the last U.S. ambassador to USSR/Russia to be banned from traveling there.” Moscow declared Kennan persona non grata in 1952.

The Russian Foreign Ministry did not publicly confirm the ban, but ministry sources told Russian news agencies McFaul had been added to a sanctions list in 2014.

He was not banned because of his support for Obama, a Foreign Ministry source told the TASS and RIA news agencies, but because of his “active participation in the destruction of the bilateral relationship and relentless lobbying in favor of a campaign to pressure Russia.”

The Kremlin had strained relations with McFaul when he was ambassador, bridling at his contacts with the opposition.

McFaul is now a professor of political science at Stanford University.

Source: The Huffington Post

Yomi and his wife, Fran, when the going was all bliss.

The social media has evolved over the years, providing numerous people a platform upon which to express themselves. It's no longer news that many marriages have been contracted with the help of the social media providing the meeting place for the spouses. What is however new is someone announcing that he is divorcing his wife, using the social media to make such a very important announcement.

So it was when Nollywood actor/producer, Yomi Fabiyi took to the social media earlier today to announce that he was divorcing his wife.

Yomi and his wife, Fran, a white woman, will be getting a divorce just before celebrating their 4th wedding  anniversary.

Here is what the actor posted on his Instagram page:

“It’s so sad that a lot of people never give me the benefit of the doubt. Only a handful think it is right to respect my freedom of choice. I have been unlucky in life, most of what I do normally have opposite impression irrespective of my positive mindset. I cannot help it and will rather prefer to continue to be real as possible, I am used to being misinterpreted my entire adult life. I never aim to hurt anybody in words or actions before them or behind them. I am never raised that way. They forget that some people no matter how horrible the situation, still has some dignity left in them.

I have also been raised to know that no matter how small the interactions I have with anybody, I should not let my manners slip. It cost nothing but could win a whole lot of goodwill. Moreso, I have been vigorously warned by my parents never to prove to know if what am ready to give out is a guess.

Hopefully Fran accepts my proposition to end this marriage now as I cannot continue this way, AM NOT HAPPY anymore as we edge close to the 4th year anniversary. Fran is such a beautiful woman, supportive and wish I come live in England, take up employmemt and study. I HAVE USED HER DOCUMENTS TO RENEW MY NORMAL VISA ONLY, so no question she is not willing, I NEVER said that. With all humility, if she never promised me she is coming to take up employment in Nigeria and live with me, maybe we may not have secured the dating. I have made it abundantly clear I am not prepared to live abroad as my career was just gathering shape then. I decor wedding hall Nigeria colour on purpose.

The outlook of my choice may look familiar to those marriages but I never thought people will think of me that way. I have to live with that but sometimes it can be so bruising.

I am focused on my career and keeping my fans and admirers entertained. I have an absolute right to do whatever makes me happy provided it is nothing criminal, illegal, immoral or anti-social. I am NOT interested with the reason two adult came together. It’s crude and an uncivilized thing to do for me. I HOPE I FIND TRUE LOVE AGAIN WHILE I PUSH FOR A HITCH-FREE DIVORCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I will be fine guys. Thank u

– Yomi Fabiyi’

A scavenger died while another was hospitalised after they inhaled the pungent-smelling methane gas on Friday while cleaning a drain outside south Delhi's Vasant Square Mall, as the police booked the mall owner for alleged negligence.

The deceased has been identified as Chandan, who was a native of West Bengal and was living in Delhi in Bengali Basti in Jai Hind Camp with his family, police said. 

On Friday morning, Chandan and his colleague Israil, both aged between 25-28, went to clean the choked drain outside the mall. When Chandan went inside, he fainted due to the pungent odour, said a senior police officer.

Israil panicked on seeing Chandan's condition and jumped inside to rescue him. However, he also fainted due to the effect of the gas, said the officer.

A beat constable who saw Israil jumping in the sewer arranged for a rope and sought help from passersby to pull the duo out of the drain.

After Israil and Chandan were pulled out, they were rushed to a nearby hospital where Chandan was declared brought dead, the officer said, adding that Israil is currently undergoing treatment and his condition is stated to be critical.

A case under IPC sections 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) has been registered against the mall owner.

Both of them were employees of World Class Services Private Limited.

Source: m.ndtv.com

Blue jeans, now banned in North Korea.

If living in a country with no internet access, no television, no alcohol and no music weren't enough, North Korea has also banned Blue Jeans.

Count yourself lucky if you’re not a resident of North Korea, because a lot of things that we take for granted here are privileges denied to many there. People there can’t have an opinion, they can’t drive cars, and they have to choose their haircuts from a list of 28 "allowed" hairstyles.

A hermit region, the country is closed to the outside world.

Now news comes that blue jeans have been banned. For now, jeans are being sold in two styles- the slim-fit Kara and loose-fit Oke, and are made in black rather than blue denim.

Blue denim is a “symbol of American imperialism” to the North Koreanu leader, Kim Jong-un and thus he absolutely despises it.

Source: indiantimes.com

An iPhone.

Buying a house is hard work. But, for this shrewd Chinese woman it was only a matter of timing. According to a report by Mirror, the Shenzhen, China native, convinced her 20 lovers to buy her an iPhone each, then traded them for the down payment for a home in the countryside.

Identified as Xiaoli from her social media account on the website Weibo, the woman sold the phones online and was able to net a good sum of money in return, which she used to buy the house. Her incredible story was first detailed in a blog by a coworker from her office, after which she became the talk of the office.

Xiaoli even invited some friends over to the house she purchased and explained how she was able to it. She has upto now gained instant media attention and has also made users on social networking sites like Twitter bombard it with positive and negative reactions.

While most of them supported and even hailed her move some users were not particularly keen on heaping praise even going as far as to call her, 'Shameless'.

According to blogger named Proud Qiaoba, who appears to be Xiaoli's colleague, her father is a migrant worker and her mom a housewife. She is the oldest daughter in the family, which is not a wealthy one.

He also speculates that she might have been inspired to take such a decision since her parents were getting old and the prospect of acquiring immediate real estate could have felt like a practical idea.

Source: mid-day.com

Representational photo.

A woman's fart during an operation started a fire that resulted in her suffering serious burns.

The concerned woman patient in Japan was hurt mid-surgery when she passed gas that caught fire causing serious injuries to her body, a university hospital in Tokyo.

The woman, in her 30s, was undergoing an operation that involved applying a laser to her cervix, the lower part of the uterus at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Shinjuku Ward.

The laser is believed to have ignited the gas she passed, a report released by the hospital said. According to Japanesse media, her waist and legs were affected by the blaze. Her current condition is unknown.

An external committee looked into the incident and found that no flammable materials were in the operation room and that the equipment was functioning normally during the surgery.

The gas released when one 'farts' is a combination of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and methane. Whilst most of the components of flatulence are not harmful, hydrogen and methane render the gas flammable.

One of the gun bearing Fulani herdsmen, wreaking havoc on communities in Southern Nigeria.

The Nigerian Senate earlier Wednesday went into a closed door session to deliberate on some pending bills. Top on the agenda of the session is the controversial bill contained in the Order Paper which has necessitated the Executive session is ” A Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of grazing Areas Management Agency and for other related matters sponsored by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, APC, Kano Central.

There is another bill to be discussed as contained in the order paper and it is ‘ A Bill for an Act to provide for the Establishment of National Ranches Commission for the regulation, Management, Preservation and Control of Ranches and for connected purposes sponsored by Senator Barnabas Gemade, APC, Benue North East.

Another bill titled, ” A Bill for an Act to control the Keeping and Movement of Cattle in Nigeria and for related matters sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi, PDP, Enugu North is contained in the Order Paper for discussions.

Meanwhile, the Senate President Bukola Saraki asked Senator Barnabas Gemade, APC, Benue North East to act as the Chief Whip for today’s plenary.

Source: vanguardngr.com

Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of Nigeria's House of Reps,  alleged to be the brain behind the vexed Bill.

A member of the House of Representatives criticised over a controversial pro-Sharia bill which he sponsored, has said he was advised by the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, to quietly speed the bill through a second reading to avoid controversy.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES Thursday, Abdullahi Salame, representing Gwadabawa/Illela federal constituency, Sokoto State, said Mr. Dogara recognised that the bill could draw public outrage, and urged him not to “make noise” about the bill.

“I wrote the bill. I presented it. It was in the gazette. It went through first reading and second reading. So, the Speaker, in his wisdom — you know there are some issues that is not necessary to publicly discuss them or deliberate on them to avoid problems– asked me not to make noise about it,” Mr. Salame told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Salame was widely criticised on social media on Wednesday, after it became clear that his bill, which seeks to amend the Constitution to give more powers to the Sharia Court of Appeal, had quietly passed the second reading last week Thursday.

Mr. Salame said the Speaker directed him to quietly work the bill through second reading for it to be sent to the Constitution Amendment Committee for consideration.

“The Speaker considers this bill one of the bills that do not require much argument. Because many people could misunderstand it. At the committee, they will see the nitty-gritty of the bill. So it was the Speaker that did not allow us to publicly debate on it and he advised that we refer it to the constitutional amendment committee,” Mr. Salame said.

The speaker, Mr. Dogara, is a Christian. When reached for comment, Mr. Dogara’s media office did not confirm nor deny Mr. Salame’s claims, pointing instead to a statement issued by a spokesman for the House about the nature of the bill and how the legislative body handled its presentation.

Source: premiumtimesng

A Niger Delta militant group.

President Muhammadu Buhari will today meet Niger Delta stakeholders with a view to ending the militancy in the region which has led to a sharp decline in Nigeria’s oil revenue.

Those expected at the meeting include all the governors, ministers and other political appointees from the Niger Delta region as well as traditional rulers and representatives of militant groups.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed to our correspondent last night that the meeting would hold today at 12.00 noon. He, however, declined comment on issues President Buhari is likely to present before the region’s stakeholders.

However, Daily Trust learnt that the president will present a package for peace in the region which includes additional N35billon for the ongoing Amnesty Programme. A virement request to that effect is now awaiting the approval of the National Assembly.

Daily Trust reports that there have been disagreements over the choice of representatives and a $10 billion infrastructural development fund for the region launched by the government.

Meeting will open doors

An Ijaw elder, Chief Anabs Sara Igbe, told Daily Trust on phone last night that the scheduled meeting will open doors for the much expected dialogue with leaders of the region.

Chief Sara Igbe, who is a delegate expected to take part in the meeting, said it would be the first official engagement between the people of Niger Delta and the president. He added that it would create an opportunity for the region to make submissions on issues that border on the economic and human capital development, as well as security and restoration of peace in the region.

He said the discussion with the president would focus on socio-economic development of the region as well as building a strong synergy with multinational oil companies operating in the area.

“We will also look into fiscal federalism and security of Niger Delta. We will look at a way of building a synergy between the oil companies and the people of the region so as to bring a lasting peace. We will also harp on the on-going war against corruption. We are not against the fight against corruption but we want it to done within the ambit of the law,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that other Niger Delta leaders expected at the meeting include Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Alfred Diete Spiff, Chief Judith Asune and Eradiri Udengs, the IYC President.

The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had  last week said the president called for the meeting with some stakeholders from the region as part of efforts to end insurgency in the restive region.

Kachikwu, while launching a roadmap for the oil sector, had announced a $10bn infrastructure development fund being planned for the oil-rich region.

But leaders and stakeholders of the Niger Delta have rejected the planned fund, arguing that they were not consulted before the decision was taken. 

Kachikwu yesterday also acknowledged there were already cracks, “We are having our first meeting, which is already becoming very contentious.  

“We were encouraged to continue to engage, despite these misunderstandings. I am personally committed to ensuring a very robust engagement with every stakeholder in the region to ensure the sense of inclusion.” he said in a speech he delivered at the 2016 Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) annual conference and exhibition in Abuja on Monday.

Leaders and representative of groups from the region said they will keep sealed lips until after the meeting today.

“We have been told not to say anything until we have met with the president,” Chief Godspower Gbenakama, spokesman for Gbaramatu Kingdom, told Daily Trust adding that it was not unusual for disagreements because the “Niger Delta is a big place, there is always issues about who is going to represent where.”

Traditional rulers and stakeholders from the region had at a maiden meeting in Abuja with the minister in August listed the cessation of hostilities by the military around the region, reopening of the Maritime University and release of individuals arrested on trumped up charges, among others as conditions for the return to lasting peace in the region.

They also called on the Federal Government to urgently constitute a dialogue to negotiate on its behalf with stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.

Revenue losses

The Niger Delta has been rocked by intermittent attacks by militant groups since February, leading to cut in Nigeria’s oil output far below what is proposed in the 2016 budget. This is even as oil price has remained low at the international market.

In the first eight months, supply disruptions significantly affected the country’s oil exports as four of the nation’s five largest crude export streams were totally suspended.

Nigeria lost over $7bn (around N2 trillion) to militancy and pipeline vandalism since the beginning of the year, according to Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Maikanti Baru at the weekend. 

He added that “60 per cent of oil production lost is NNPC-FGN equity. At an estimated price of $45 per barrel, the total 2016 revenue loss to the Federation Account translates to about $7 billion.”

President Buhari had during the launch of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Roadmap tagged “The 7 Big Wins” at the Presidential Villa, said “The golden era of high oil prices may not be here now, but oil and gas resources still remain the most immediate and practical keys out of our present economic crisis. 

“Oil and gas still remain a critical enabler for the successful implementation of our budget as well as the source of funds for laying a strong foundation for a new and more diversified economy.”

End military campaign – NDA 

Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) threatened yesterday to step up attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta if the president pursues a military campaign.

The threat cast a shadow over peace talks between the government and groups due to start on today.

The Nigerian military had declared war against militants threatening the peace of region with the launch of operation Crocodile Smile which is aimed at getting rid of all forms of criminal activities in the region.

But in a written response to Reuters questions, Mudoch Agbinibo, spokesman for the NDA, said the group was “determined to gradually grind the flow of our oil” if Buhari’s administration opted to continue its military campaign in the region.

Agbinibo said President Muhammadu Buhari must “come down from...his iron-horse of ethnic and religious bigotry”.

Any plan of the Nigerian government thinking of exploiting the resources of the Niger Delta to fund...government without our genuine involvement will be a very tall dream,” said the spokesman.

The NDA spokesman said the group was a “liberation movement, poised towards the control of our resources” that would “pay appropriate tax to the central government”.

Source: dailytrust.com.ng