….Will resume after assurance, clearance from military
..We can’t confirm rescue of our workers from Boko Haram terrorists
By Michael Eboh and Ifeoluwa Mic-Braimoh
ABUJA — The Federal Government, yesterday, said it has
suspended crude oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin following attack
on personnel of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Borno
State by suspected members of Boko Haram terrorist group.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Minister of State for Petroleum
Resources and Chairman of the NNPC Board, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, declared
that NNPC would only resume production if it got sufficient assurance
and security clearance from the military authorities, guaranteeing the
safety of its personnel and operations.
He said, “Whether we will resume, obviously, will depend
again on what security clearance is given. Certainly, we will not go
back unless they give us clearance; just like we did not go in before
they gave us clearance. Provided they are sufficient security clearance,
I don’t see why we would not continue to push.” THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PETROLEUM RESOURCES, DR EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU
He described the incident as unfortunate, lamenting that the
attack still occurred after over six months in that area and despite
the fact that there were over 200 security personnel protecting the oil
exploration team, comprising members of the military and the Civilian
Joint Task Force, CJTF, and others.
He said, “The lessons we are going to take away from this
incident is that we are going to look at the security apparatus and find
out whether they are a little bit more we can do. I know that they were
over 200 security personnel, between the military, the CJTF and others.
They were very well protected, and as I said, the activities had been
going on for over six months.”
He stated that adequate security clearance was obtained from
the military authorities before exploration work resumed in the Lake
Chad Basin, adding that the day of the attack was supposed to be last
day of the operation of the team. Yet to confirm rescue
He further stated that the NNPC is delighted by the report
of some rescue of the victims, noting, however, that it cannot actually
confirm the rescue.
“We await official confirmation from the military authorities in line with established protocols,” Kachikwu noted.
He further stated that the military is still collating data
concerning the attack and cannot confirm the actual number of people who
died.
Governor Nyesom Wike of
Rivers State and Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, his predecessor and Minister of
Transportation, were seen together in public, yesterday, with acting
President Yemi Osinbajo, who visited the state to commission a world
class fertilizer plant at Indorama, Eleme Petrochemicals Limited in
Eleme LGA of the state, as he noted that the Federal Government remains
committed to developing the private sector.
Incidentally, it was about a year ago since Wike and Amaechi were last seen together.
Speaking at the event, Osinbajo noted that the plant will
produce 1.5 million metric tonnes of Urea per annum, adding that the
development was a reflection of the success of the Federal Government’s
privatisation programme. Wike, Osinbajo & Amaechi in Rivers during commissioning of fertilizer plant
The acting President also handed a certificate to the
management of the fertilizer plant, formally discharging it from the
mandatory five year monitoring programme of the Bureau of Public
Enterprise, BPE.
He said that the Federal Government will continue to support
the growth of the fertilizer plant, noting that it had also taken steps
to encourage the needed atmosphere for the growth of private
businesses.
“The plant commissioned today (yesterday), I am told,
is one of the largest in the world, designed to produce 1.5 million
metric tonnes of Urea fertilizer per annum for domestic and foreign
markets. I have been informed that Indorama will this year alone
supply about 360,000 MT of Urea to Fertilizer blenders, who will
in turn produce NPK fertilizer for the benefit of farmers
across the country,” he said.
He further charged management of the fertilizer plant not to
compromise on best practices even though it had been discharged from
the mandatory monitoring programme of BPE.
Chairman of the fertilizer firm, Mr Sri Prakash Lolua, said:
“I am pleased to report that with the start-up of this plant, Nigeria
is now more than self-sufficient in urea and has now become a net
exporter of urea to the world. This enables Nigeria
to save valuable foreign exchange on urea imports and
receive foreign exchange from urea exports.”
Governor Nyesom Wike, in his remarks, assured that his
administration will continue to support the fertilizer plant, assuring
that the state was conducive for investment.
ABUJA— THE Senate, yesterday, approved the
$1.806 billion Federal Government 2016-2018 external borrowing (rolling)
plan for Lagos-Kano railway modernization project and
reconstruction/rehabilitation of the North-East.It also approved the $750 million medium term external loan
requests for six states, out of the Federal Government ’s request of
$1.49 billion for 10 states.
The breakdown of the utilisation of the $575 million World
Bank loan includes $125 million for polio eradication support and
routine immunisation project, $75 million for community and social
development project, and $125 million for Nigeria States Health
Programme Investment project.
Others are $100 million for State Education Programme
Investment project, $100 million for Nigeria Youth Employment and Social
Support Project and $50 million for Fadama III project.
Further breakdown of the approved loans are $70 million from
African Development Bank (ADB) for Ebonyi Ring Road Project (to be
co-financed by Islamic Development Bank), $200 million ADB facility for
Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) in Abia State, and $200 million
IDB loan for Kano State Integrated Agricultural and Water Resources
Development.
Kaduna—The governors of 19 northern states
said, yesterday, that the region was not opposed to the restructuring of
the country, contrary to widely held views by some persons and groups.
In an address at a meeting of the 19 northern states
governors and traditional rulers in Kaduna, Chairman of the Northern
States Governors Forum and Governor of Borno State, Ibrahim Shettima,
said any restructuring should be done within acceptable criteria and
must be fair to all component parts of the country.
He said a final decision on the position of the north would
be taken today when governors of the 19 northern states meet in Kaduna. From
left: Governors, Tanko Al-Makura of Nassarawa State; Gov. Mohammed
Abubakar of Bauchi State; Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State; and Gov.
Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, at the meeting between the Northern
Governors and Traditional Rulers in Kaduna State on Thursday
He said: “It is also my expectation that at the end of this
meeting today (yesterday) and, God willing, tomorrow’s (today) meeting
of the governors, the forum and our esteemed royal fathers will adopt a
consensus position on restructuring of the country that will be
reflective of the general overall interest of the people of Northern
Nigeria and which will attract popular acceptance.
“It is of vital importance to arrive at such consensus
position because it is crucial to dispel the erroneous impression
created and disseminated by certain interests in this country that the
North is opposed to restructuring.
“Secondly, it is important to do so not only to accommodate
the mainstream of Northern public opinion, our primary constituency, but
to also counter the specific versions of restructuring, which generally
seek to place the North in a position of strategic political and
economic disadvantage, but portrayed as the only versions that can work
for the nation.
“Without pre-empting the outcome of our interactions over
the next two days, however, permit me Your Excellencies and Your Royal
Highnesses, to embark on a short reflection on the matter before hand.
Agreed that being citizens of a democratic country, Nigerians are
entitled to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech
and association, and the clamour for the restructuring of the country
falls within the purview of these freedoms. However, the exercise of
such rights outside the confines of responsibility is not acceptable. Condemn hate speech
“ The resort to shenanigans, hate speech, and sometimes,
incitement to violence by organisations such as IPOP and MOSSAB must be
unconditionally condemned as they are inimical to national unity,
stability, peaceful coexistence and national security.
“In this regards, I call on all constituted authorities and
responsible leaders of thought in the South-East and other parts of
Nigeria to rise to the occasion and call these purveyors of hate speech
and inflammatory and provocative statements to order.
“These elements must be encouraged to pursue their
agitations within processes enshrined in our constitution and with the
full and willing participation of all parts of our nation.” Call for reinvention and redirection of nation’s politics
The governors called for a reinvention and redirection of
the nation’s politics in order “redirect the energy of our youths so
that we exploit the great potential, which God in His mercy has bestowed
on us. The system can be provided with the much needed
policy-framework, funding, energy and direction to set up urban and
rural agro-based industries to raise our productive capacity, keep our
youths busy; after some of the countries we admire and frequently
visit did just that to be the shining light that they are today.
“We need to task our intellectuals, our political class, our
clergy and our traditional leaders to create the necessary synergy to
work assiduously to meet targets that will put us back on the path of
progress. We can’t afford to fail, we have all we need to succeed. All
we require now is the political will; the will to change our ways, the
will to re-invent our politics, the will to re-engineer our society and
focus on the next generation rather than the next elections.” On farmers, herdsmen clashes
Speaking in the incessant clash between farmers and
herdsmen, the governors said proactive steps must be taken to check the
issue.
They said: “Another no less important issue on the front
burner of national discourse, which by far impacts more on the
socio-economic lives of the people of the North than the rest of the
country, is the continuing, and in some cases, worsening, conflict
between farmers and herdsmen.
“Although the struggle over grazing land is a recurring
phenomenon in many African countries south of the Sahara, the case in
Nigeria has come to assume a dangerous and worrisome dimension in terms
of both its massive scale and widespread scope, and the ethno-religious
colouration it has been so cynically given.
“I dare to say that unless we are ready to cast aside all
sentiment-laden approaches to tackling this monstrous problem, it is
capable of consuming the very social fabric of the North and even
condemning the entire country to unwarranted destruction.
“It, therefore, behoves on us, our political leaders, royal
fathers and elders, to here and now embark on the serious search for a
viable, sustainable and lasting solution to this admittedly difficult to
resolve but not insurmountable quagmire.” Insecurity in the north
In his speech, Governor Nasir el Rufai of of Kaduna State
called for more attention to be paid to the issue of insecurity in the
north.
He also expressed concern on the continued insecurity in
north, noting that the meeting was coming at time when there is dire
need to restore peace in the north.
El-Rufai noted that in place of strife and division, there
was the dire need of the regional leaders to create economic
opportunities for the north to move forward.
Some of the traditional rulers that were at the meeting
included the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad AbubakarIII; Shehu of
Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi; Emir of Gwandu,
Maj.Gen Muhammad Iliyasu Bashir; Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II; Emir
of Bauchi, Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu; Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini
Usman, Emir of Zazzau, Etsu-Nupe, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, the Top Tiv,
Professor James Ayatse, among others.
ABUJA – ACTING President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has sworn-in
Prof. Stephen Ocheni from Kogi State and Alhaji Suleiman Hassan from
Gombe State as ministers of the Federal Republic. Prof. Stephen Ocheni from Kogi State and Alhaji Suleiman Hassan from Gombe State as ministers of the Federal Republic.
Prof. Ocheni who is a professional accountant and member of
Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN is occupying the
slot of Kogi State which became vacant after the death of James Ocholi
who until his death was the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
Alhaji Hassan from Gombe State and a former Registrar,
Association of Surveyors is replacing Hajia Amina Mohammed that was in
the Environment Ministry but was appointed as the Deputy Secretary
General of the United Nations.
The Acting President who charged the two ministers to key
into the change agenda of the government said that their portfolios
will soon be assigned to them.
Traditionally, after the swearing in of new ministers there is always minor cabinet reshuffle.
Details latter.
Tragedy struck again in
Lagos, yesterday, when a four-storey building at 3, Massey Street, Lagos
Island, suddenly collapsed, with 14 persons rescued alive, while many
were still trapped at press time.
The incident was said to have occurred at about 3p.m., with
rescue operators battling to rescue the trapped victims among who were
children, from the debris.
Vanguard gathered that the affected building owned by Kafo
family , was initially a three storey building before an additional one
storey was added.
At press time, 14 victims according to the General Manager,
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Adesina Tiamiyu , were
rescued . Among them were children . Lekki building collapse [Photo: Daily Post]The
cause of the collapse could not be immediately ascertained as rescue
operators among who were officials of Lagos State Emergency Management
Agency, LASEMA; Lagos State Fire Service, National Emergency Management
Agency; NEMA Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Red Cross; Lagos
State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS and policemen, were seen rescuing
trapped victims.
There were reportedly telephone calls from under the rubble , with trapped victims begging for help.
Residents said that among those trapped was a pregnant woman.
The GM, LASEMA stated that heavy duty equipment was being
used to search through the rubble, adding that the operation was being
done with care in order not to endanger lives of trapped victims.
A woman, who gave her name as Mrs Adeosun Akinfisoye, who
resides on same street , said “ there was no sign of imminent collapse.
We heard an explosion which caused everyone to take to his heels, only
to discover later that it was a building that collapsed. People are
still buried inside. A pregnant woman is among those under the debris.
By Dennis Agbo & Ugochukwu Alaribe
ENUGU – THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has stated
that whether people boycott elections or not, winners must emerge in
any scheduled election.
The electoral body said that whatever number of people that
participated in an election, the conduct would obviously produce a
winner, adding that no matter the agitation anybody or group may have,
elections are crucial to governance since somebody must be a helmsman at
any point in time.
INEC also noted that even if there would be a referendum in
the country, INEC registers would be relied upon to determine legibility
for participation in the referendum.
INEC spoke as two pro-Biafra groups; Eastern Elders Forum
and Defenders of Truth, stated that only a referendum would resolve the
prevailing political turmoil in Nigeria and urged the Federal
Government to conduct one without further delay.
The groups further warned that the call for referendum by
the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and Movement for the Actualization
of Sovereign States of Biafra, MASSOB and other agitating groups in
the country do not amount to declaration of war and urged the Federal
Government to do the needful.
Boycott or not, winner must emerge — INEC
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Enugu State,
Mr. Emeka Ononamadu made the statements in Enugu in a press briefing on
the state of the on-going Continuous Voters Registration, CVR, in the
state.
Ononamadu noted that it would be wiser if eligible voters
are registered since greater participation of voters in elections help
discourage electoral malpractice.
He however said that so far, there has not been any challenge of pro-Biafra groups against the exercise in the state.
He disclosed that there is a wide gap between census figures
and the number of voters and urged people up to 18 years that have not
obtained voters cards to do so in order to close the wide margin.
Ononamadu further disclosed that 68, 672 voters have so far
registered in the the on-going CVR while 8 registration centres were
approved in addition to 17 statutory centres in the state.
He said that the state has so far distributed 3, 978 Permanent Voters Card, PVC, while 4000 cards were either lost or defaced.
He noted that the second quarter of the CVR will immediately
commence from July 31 2017, adding that “this is the first time we
are practicing what the law says and the continuous registration will
continue till close to election.”
The INEC chief said that display of voters registers have
commenced at the registration centres and urged people to check if their
names were either omitted or spelt wrongly.
Only referendum ‘ll resolve Nigeria’s problems
Briefing newsmen in Aba, chairmen of Eastern Elders Forum
and Defenders of Truth; Mazi Jude Chukwu and Mazi Ukaegbu O. Ukaegbu,
respectively, warned that the Federal Government would be playing with
fire if it continues to delay the conduct of a referendum to allow
component units in Nigeria to determine their future.
“We state that the only solution for the present political
imbroglio is for the Federal Government of Nigeria to conduct a
referendum in order to set free some component units of the country that
are seeking for self determination. We further state that the call
for referendum by the IPOB, MASSOB, EPC and other agitating groups in
the country doesn’t amount to war or violence, but peaceful and good
settlement of the present turmoil in the country.”
The groups expressed concern about the position of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo and its youth wing and warned them not to risk the lives and
property of Ndigbo through unguarded utterances.
“Some utterances from Ohanaeze Ndigbo and its youth wing led
by one Okechukwu Isiguzo, amount to outright desecration of Igbo
culture and tradition. We hereby use this medium to warn some self
acclaimed Igbo leaders to stop their antics. They should desist or face
the wrath of elders of Ndigbo in the country or Diaspora.”
