Reps back NIMASA on CVFF disbursement

*It’s a milestone for cabotage implementation – NIMASA  The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has received support from the House of Representatives to disburse the $360 million Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) to qualified Nigerian ship-owners. A committee of the House chaired by Hon. Legor Idagbo in its report gave the nod for disbursement at the end of its investigation. According to a statement by Assistant Director, Public Relations, NIMASA Osagie Edward, “The Committee requested the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and the Ministry of Transportation to provide detailed information on the total amount accrued to the Fund and disbursements since inception. “The Committee met with the Minister of Transportation and the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Thursday, 11 May 2023 to find out about the details concerning the matter.  “After a thorough analysis of the various submissions, coupled with the explanations given by the Ministry and NIMASA, the Committee discovered that due process was followed in the planned disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund. “It was also discovered that the total funds of $360m in the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) represents 50%, while the remaining counterpart funds of 50% is from stakeholders and banks, which is 15% and 35% respectively”. The Committee commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for its commitment to awarding shipping contracts to indigenous companies that have built capacity to the level where they can successfully execute these contracts. Reacting, NIMASA Director General Dr. Bashir Jamoh, thanked the lawmakers for their interest in verifying the due process being followed by the agency. Dr. Jamoh who expressed optimism that the NNPCL’s resolve to award maritime contracts to indigenous companies will give strength to the Cabotage regime being championed by the Agency, reaffirmed NIMASA’s transparency resolve in all facets of the Agency’s operation The DG also called for more stakeholder support, saying the CVFF will evolve into greater benefit for more Nigerians, and grow the per capita income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria, through the maritime industry.

Police gives N61m to deceased officers’ families

The Nigeria Police Force on Friday in Lafia presented cheques valued at N61 million to families of officers who died on duty in Nasarawa State. A statement by Mr Ramhan Nasel, the spokesman of the Nasarawa Command of the Force, said that Mr Mohammed Baba, the Commissioner, presented the cheques. The statement indicated that families of 106 officers benefitted from the gesture. “The gesture is an initiative of IGP Family Welfare Scheme, Group Personal Accident and Group Life Assurance aimed at improving the living standard of the benefiting families,” it added. Nansel quoted Baba as sympathising with the beneficiaries and appreciating the Inspector-General of Police for his love and support for the families of deceased officers and others  injured in the course of duty. Baba urged the beneficiaries to use the token judiciously to cater for the families. 

We’ll no longer fix petrol prices– NMDPRA

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said it will no longer fix prices or release templates for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Authority Chief Executive (ACE), Mr Farouk Ahmed, who said this at a news conference in Abuja on Friday, said that market forces would henceforth dictate prices under the liberalised market. “As far as we are concerned in the NMDPRA, this is not like before when the PPPRA fixes the price; in a deregulated market, it is the market force that dictates the price,” he said. The development was sequel to the removal of subsidy on PMS known as petrol. President Bola Tinubu had in his inaugural speech on Monday said fuel subsidy regime had ended with the commencement of his administration. Ahmed, however, said the market was now open for everybody that would import as far as they met all the requirements. “So, it is not about the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) alone. “We put the regulation in place, we make sure quality control is complied with, we make sure the product is there and we give licence to prospective importer. “We make sure we guide the operations of everyone in the sector whether at the depot or wherever the product is but we will not put a cap to say this is what the price must be,” he said. According to Ahmed, the role of the NNPC is to fix prices of the petrol it imported and not take over the responsibilities of the Authority. “In the case of the NNPC, the organisation is the sole importer at this point. We told the NNPC to recover its costs because they know how much it cost them to import the product and sell it. “Of course, we also know how much shipping, offshore, ex-depot and ex-pump are. But we cannot tell them to sell at a price because the market is deregulated,” he added. The NMDPRA boss also disclosed that the Federal Government has officially scrapped petroleum equalisation as well as the national transport allowance. He said the NMDPRA, the federal government and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) would mount aggressive monitoring of activities in the downstream sector to prevent profiteering by petroleum marketers. Ahmed further disclosed that marketers are now free to source their foreign exchange anywhere around the world to import petroleum products and recover their costs without impediments. On where the importers will source their forex from, Ahmed said the CBN would not give dollar to anyone because of open market, adding that anyone willing to import should get the dollars from anywhere to import. According to him, anyone willing to open a letter of credit from any part of the world can do that to import. “That marketers can source their forex from anywhere is the beauty of the liberalised market that the NMDPRA has introduced based on the provision of the law”. Ahmed said that the market would henceforth be modulated to allow the fluidity of prices, adding that though no template spelt out the pricing components of petrol price. He said that, “based on this, the price would no longer be static rather depend on the international price of the gasoline market.

Perm Sec pledges to strengthen mines, steel development

The new Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Mary Ogbe, has pledged to strengthen the mines and steel industry in Nigeria by providing solutions to existing challenges. Ogbe made the commitment in Abuja on Friday, at a valedictory session organised by the ministry for the former Permanent Secretary, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade. She called on the staff to support her to achieve the mandate and objectives of the ministry. “I am ready and committed to strengthening the ministry toward proferring solutions to the challenges facing the nation. “Therefore, all hands must be on deck as the nation looks up to the ministry in solving its socio-economic problems,” she said. The permanent secretary said she would run an open door policy, to enhance consultations for the effective and efficient running of the sectors. Ogbe said that her target was to ensure the holistic exploitation of available minerals to diversify the nation’s economy. Earlier, Akinlade described Ogbe as a seasoned administrator with an impressive track record of delivering high-quality performance. She pledged her unalloyed support for the growth of the ministry as well as promoting the mining industry. The former permanent secretary called on the management and staff of the ministry to assist Ogbe in discharging her duties and completing of outstanding projects. She said that the projects would create wealth and jobs for the teeming youths and generate revenue for the nation. Also, the Director, Human Resources, Dr Mohammed Suleiman expressed the readiness of the ministry’s workforce to work efficiently with the new permanent secretary. Suleiman said that they were committed to taking the ministry to higher heights and boost the economy. He thanked Akinlade for her immense contributions to the successes recorded by the ministry, especially the growth of the mining industry in the country. The ministry at the occassion, unveiled its Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), which would store, organise and manage official documents electronically and enhance performance.

Fuel Subsidy: NLC declares nationwide strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Friday, declared a nationwide strike from Wednesday next week. The union disclosed this during its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held in the Federal Capital territory, Abuja. According to Channels TV, the meeting was not unconnected to the fuel subsidy removal by President Bola Tinubu and the subsequent hike in the pump price of petrol. The NEC comprises all Presidents, General Secretaries, Treasurers of all NLC’s affiliate unions; State Chairpersons and Secretaries of the NLC State Councils, Chairperson of the NLC Youth Committee and members of the National Administrative Coucil. NIGERIAN ANCHOR had reported on Wednesday that the meeting between the federal government and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over fuel subsidy removal ended without a consensus. The meeting began around 4pm on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Representatives of the Federal Government had included Dele Alake, the spokesperson for Tinubu; and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari. Other government officials present were the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole. The Organised Labour was represented by the NLC National President, Joe Ajaero; and the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Festus Osifo. After several hours of meeting with the Federal Government, the NLC had demanded that the Federal Government return to the status quo by reversing the price of fuel before resuming negotiations with the NLC. The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, who criticised the removal of subsidy stated that the status quo returns before any formal engagement with the NLC to protect the Nigerian workforce and proffer additional solutions. The NLC insisted that the Federal Government did not enter into any conversation even on palliative measures for Nigerians, hence the rejection of the latest announcement. The union said it had decided to reconvene with its members to determine the next line of action. Meanwhile, Alake described the meeting as robust, adding that talks would continue. He expressed hope that the parties would reach a reasonable conclusion at its next adjourned meeting.

Tribunal: Why we refused admittance of our own documents in evidence -INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday in Abuja, seized an opportunity presented at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to explain its reasons for refusing that its own documents be admitted in evidence. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP,) Mr. Peter Obi, and his party sought to tender the documents as exhibits to establish their petition against the conduct of the Feb. 25 Presidential Election. INEC had on Thursday, through its counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, objected to the admission of several documents brought to the PEPC by the petitioners for the purpose of tendering them as exhibits in support of their petition. At Friday’s proceedings, INEC also objected to all the certified true copies of the Form EC8A the petitioners sought to tender from local governments across six states.  INEC’s counsel, Pinheiro told the court that the electoral body kicked against the tendering of certified true copies of the documents, mainly election result sheets, on the grounds that they were strange to the petition. Pinheiro explained that issues were not joined in the local government areas where the result sheets were sought to be tendered, adding that it was wrong for the petitioners to go beyond the areas where the election was disputed. According to INEC, the local government areas unlawfully smuggled into proceedings of the court are totally strange to the petition and cannot stand in the face of the law. The Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, however, held that it was wrong for INEC’S lawyer to attempt to give reasons for his objection now when all parties had agreed during the pre-hearing stage to give reasons at the address stage. The counsel, however, said that he was compelled to offer some explanation following the bashing the commission received in the media that it was objecting to the admittance of its own documents in court. Meanwhile, the court has admitted as exhibits, Forms EC8A from 21 local government areas of Adamawa, Lagos state, eight local government areas of Bayelsa, and parts of Rivers and Niger as tendered by the petitioners. 

Tribunal: Obi, LP tender more exhibits in 6 states against Tinubu

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) Friday, admitted as exhibits documents from six states from the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, against President Bola Tinubu’s election. The exhibits are certified true copies of forms EC8A used in the February 25 presidential provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). On Thursday, Obi and his party tendered exhibits in six States comprising Rivers, Benue, Cross River, Niger, Osun, and Ekiti. However, at Friday’s proceedings, Obi tendered exhibits in six other states including Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Edo, Lagos and Akwa Ibom. A breakdown of the fresh exhibits showed that forms EC8A were admitted in 21 Local Government Areas of Adamawa, 8 in Local Government Areas of Bayelsa, 31 Local Government Areas of Oyo, 18 Local Government Areas of Edo, 20 Local Government Areas of Lagos and 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom. So far, Obi and his party have tendered exhibits in twelve out of eighteen states they are challenging the election results. Reacting, all the Respondents in the matter submitted their intentions to object to the documents at the final stage of address. Haven exhausted the documents at their disposal for the day, Obi applied to the court to consider the admitted documents as read. The matter has been adjourned till June 5, for the continuation of the hearing.

Abuja businessman docked for allegedly stealing N92,300 from sex worker

The Police, on Friday, arraigned a 53-year-old businessman, King Dauda, before a Kado Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing the sum of N92, 300 from a sex worker. The police charged Dauda, of EFAB Global Estate, Life Camp, Abuja, with theft. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Prosecution Counsel, Stanley Nwafoaku, told the court that on May 26, at about 9:05 a.m., Ms Bolaji Olufumi, of Prosper Road Area 3, Abuja, reported the matter at Life Camp Police Station. Nwafoaku said that on May 20, the defendant invited the complainant to his residence, located at EFAB Estate, and after having carnal knowledge of her, took her purse containing N92,300. He said that all efforts by Olufumi to recover the purse and her money from the defendant proved abortive. According to him, the offence contravenes the provisions of Sections 288 of the Penal Code Law. The Defence Counsel, Charity Nwosu, made an oral bail application, citing Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 158 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. Nwosu assured the court that the defendant would not jump bail, if granted. Nwafoaku, however, did not object to the bail application made by the defence counsel. The Judge, Muhammed Wakili, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100,000 and one surety in like sum. Wakili said that the surety must provide a Bank Verification Number (BVN) printout, a recent passport photograph and a valid identification card, which must be verified by the court registrar. The judge, thereafter, adjourned the case till June 15 for hearing. 

Tinubu confirms Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff, Akume SGF

President Bola Tinubu has formalized the appointment of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as his Chief of Staff and former governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Also appointed as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, is former Benue State Governor, George Akume. These were contained in a statement issued on Friday by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director, Information. It also announced Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, a former Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, as Deputy Chief of Staff.

Former Benue Gov, George Akume tipped for SGF

The immediate-past Minister of Special Duties and former Governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, is set to be named the new Secretary to the Government of Federation. With this decision, President Bola Tinubu may have pacified the North Central zone ahead of the race for leadership of the National Assembly. Feelers indicate that President Tinubu has decided on the choice of Akume, his long-time ally, for the top job. The people of North Central and All Progressives Congress members are reportedly unhappy a being taken out of consideration for the position of Speaker of House of Repres The immediate-past Minister of Special Duties and former Governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, is set to be named the new Secretary to the Government of Federation. With this decision, President Bola Tinubu may have pacified the North Central zone ahead of the race for leadership of the National Assembly. Feelers indicate that President Tinubu has decided on the choice of Akume, his long-time ally, for the top job. The people of North Central and All Progressives Congress members are reportedly unhappy about being taken out of consideration for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives. Since his inauguration on Monday as the 16th President of Nigeria, expectations had been rife among many political actors and Nigerians for the appointment of personal aides of the President leading to many speculations on social and mainstream media. One of the social media speculations was the purported appointment of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as the Chief of Staff to the President. The President, according to available information, is expected to formally announce the appointment of Senator Akume alongside other personal aides between Friday and Monday next week. Since his inauguration on Monday as the 16th President of Nigeria, expectations had been rife among many political actors and Nigerians for the appointment of personal aides of the President leading to many speculations on social and mainstream media. One of the social media speculations was the purported appointment of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as the Chief of Staff to the President. The President, according to available information, is expected to formally announce the appointment of Senator Akume alongside other personal aides between Friday and Monday next week.