NNPC PORTAL SHUTDOWN, DELAYS PETROL SUPPLY – MARKETERS
Dons Eze
- October 3, 2024
NNPC PORTAL SHUTDOWN, DELAYS PETROL SUPPLY – MARKETERS
NNPC PORTAL SHUTDOWN, DELAYS PETROL SUPPLY – MARKETERS Oil marketers have said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited portal used to purchase petrol has been shut against dealers, making it impossible for them to apply for the commodity purchase. They said marketers are still awaiting over 90 million litres of petrol from the state-owned company. This is valued at about N79bn. The PUNCH recalls that amid marketers’ complaints over their inability to order petrol, the NNPC confirmed the shutdown of its purchasing portal to our correspondent last month, giving its reasons. According to NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, the company shut the portal due to a significant backlog. Soneye explained that the shutdown became necessary to stop NNPC from holding marketers’ capital for too long. “We have a significant backlog to address. The closure is intended to prevent us from holding marketers’ funds for an extended period,” Soneye had explained. He, however, assured marketers that the portal would be reopened after the backlog had been reduced. Soneye explained that the shutdown became necessary to stop NNPC from holding marketers’ capital for too long. “We have a significant backlog to address. The closure is intended to prevent us from holding marketers’ funds for an extended period,” Soneye had explained. He, however, assured marketers that the portal would be reopened after the backlog had been reduced. It will be reopened once the backlog has been sufficiently reduced. We are working to address it as soon as possible,” he told our correspondent. Marketers who spoke with our correspondent confirmed that NNPC was expediting actions to clear the backlogs as of the weekend. Though NNPC did not disclose the value of the ‘huge backlogs’, independent marketers said they have over 2,000 tickets yet to be cleared with NNPC. In an interview, the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the association is still waiting for the portal’s opening. “They are on it, our marketers are still loading petrol from the NNPC. I can’t confirm the price now because the portal is still shut down. “We have more than 2,000 tickets for 45,000 litres (of petrol). That is 45,000 multiplied by 2,000, you can now know the number of million litres it will be. This is just an estimate, you know I don’t work with NNPC and I don’t know what is on their system,” Ukadike stated. He disclosed that a 45,000-litre truckload of PMS is around N39.5m, making N79bn when multiplied by 2,000. The Petroleum Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria also confirmed that its members could not access the NNPC purchasing portal. PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, confirmed this in a phone conversation with our correspondent. “The portal shutdown affects us too, we are all buying from NNPC,” he said briefly. Meanwhile, the marketers noted that they have since been patronising private depot owners, who sell petrol to them at a premium. This, they said, informed why the product is more expensive in their filling stations than in outlets owned by the NNPC and the major marketers. Our correspondent gathered that the marketers usually bid for PMS through the NNPC portal. According to them, payments will be made through the same channel while the marketer waits for months to get the product. Independent marketers daid they paid for petrol but were not supplied after three months. During an interview in January, the National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, made a similar allegation which was denied by Soneye. Fashola had asked the Federal Government to review the current distribution pattern to give priority to IPMAN members. Fashola said, “We buy products from NNPC cash and carry. We don’t enjoy any credit facility with the NNPC. There are times when we…
WHY THE NORTH OPPOSES TOTAL RESTRUCTURING OF NIGERIA
WHY THE MORTH OPPOSES TOTAL RESTRUCTURING OF NIGERIARecently, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) issued a communiqué after its high-level meeting that highlighted national interest issues and focused on the incessant insecurity in the north and the entire Nigeria. ACF Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu, went the extra mile to apologize to the northerners for the “collective failure of leaders”. Beyond that, ACF partly blamed the Federal Government for not doing enough and called for scaling up the community-driven defence models used in the North-East. This simple nation-building engagement by ACF was seized by the Nigerian Tribune Editorial and pivoted to something else. The editorial questioned the legitimacy of the meeting due to “the absence of attendance of leaders from the minority states in the North” and wondered why “throughout President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office, a period that marked the deterioration of insecurity in the region, the ACF never issued this kind of statement”. Then the editorial offers the ultimate panacea to all Nigeria’s problems by insisting that the northern leaders should “embrace total restructuring of Nigeria”. The editorial is replete with misinformation and half-truths. Today, I will leave these matters for another opportunity and focus on the restructuring.Restructuring is natural in any organic entity such as Nigeria. However, there are optimum approaches to minimize costs towards desired benefits. Calls for restructuring Nigeria have been persistent, driven by dissatisfaction with the country’s political, economic, and social structures. Advocates for restructuring often argue that Nigeria’s current system is inefficient, unequal, and prone to ethnic tensions. The Nigerian Tribune editorial associated the “insecurity in Northern Nigeria” with “the fact that in the absence of restructuring, governments will only be presiding over mass bloodletting”. While there are merits to the restructuring debate, the idea of completely overhauling the nation’s structure comes with significant risks. As a history student, I would like to share lessons from other countries that have restructured. We can find cautionary tales that highlight the complexities and unintended consequences of such moves.Countries that undergo total restructuring often face challenges in maintaining national unity. A key argument for restructuring in Nigeria is the decentralization of power from the federal to state or local governments. While decentralization may allow more autonomy for regions, it can also deepen existing ethnic and religious divides. Nigeria is home to over 250 ethnic groups, and further restructuring could inflame separatist tendencies, as has happened in other countries. For instance, in Yugoslavia, the push for more autonomy and the eventual restructuring of the federation contributed to its violent disintegration in the 1990s. It broke up, at first into five countries. The ethnic and nationalist tensions that arose from the restructuring process led to civil wars, mass atrocities, and the eventual breakup of the country into smaller, ethnically defined states. Nigeria, with its own history of a civil war, must be cautious of any move that could reignite separatist movements or further fragment the country. The editorial seems to divisively highlight the issue of minority states in the North. It ignores the fact that every one of the six regions in Nigeria has minorities and each has its mistrust toward the dominant groups.One of the promises of restructuring is that it would allow regions or states to control their resources, enabling them to manage their development more effectively. However, this could also worsen economic disparities between regions. The north is generally less economically developed than the oil-rich southern regions or the Lagos State as the commercial hub of the region. A total restructuring that gives regions or states full control over their resources might lead to increased wealth for the south while leaving the north behind. The potential tension is obvious. This is similar to what happened…
HOUSE OF REPS REJECTS CFR HONOUR AWARD ON SPEAKER, DEMANDS GCON, SAYS WE’RE NOT INFERIOR TO SENATORS
HOUSE OF REPS REJECTS CFR HONOUR AWARD ON SPEAKER, DEMANDS GCON, SAYS WE’RE NOT INFERIOR TO SENATORS The House of Representatives has rejected the planned conferment of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the green chamber. During plenary on Wednesday, the house said it is unacceptable for Tinubu to confer the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), while reserving CFR for Abbas. The house passed the resolution following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Philip Agbese, lawmaker from Benue. In his Independence Day speech, Tinubu said Akpabio and Kekere-Ekun will be conferred with the GCON, while Abbas and Barau Jibrin, deputy president of the senate, will get CFR. The president also said Ben Kalu, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, will receive the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). Tinubu did not disclose the date for the conferments. No speaker has been conferred with the GCON in the history of the national honours. ‘IT’S DISCRIMINATORY’ While moving the motion, Agbese said the National Assembly is constitutionally established as a bicameral legislature comprising two equal chambers — the Senate and the House of Representatives. The lawmaker said it is discriminatory for the Senate President to be conferred with a higher national honour than the Speaker. “There is an ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, often portrayed as inferior to the Senate, through language that consistently refers to the Senate as the ‘upper chamber’ and the House of Representatives as a ‘lower chamber’. This terminology misrepresents the legal status of both chambers and diminishes the house’s standing,” the legislator said. “We note that the conferment of the title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the presideynt of the Senate and the conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker of the house of Representatives and Deputy President of the Senate, perpetuates the inappropriate subordination of the Speaker to the President of the Senate. “The Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is lower in protocol ranking than the speaiker of the House of Representatives, was also awarded the title of GCON, further exemplifying this culture of discrimination against the leadership of the house. “The constitution, in promoting a balanced and equal bicameral legislature, clearly provides that bills passed by one chamber must be concurred with by the other in the same form for them to become law, thus affirming the equal status of both chambers as essential components of the legislative process. “While the constitution assigns specific responsibilities to the Senate, such as confirming certain presidential appointments, it implies greater authority for the House of Representatives over appropriations and the power of the purse “These distinct roles are designed to maintain a system of checks and balances within the legislative arm rather than establishing the superiority of one chamber over the other.” THE DEBATE Contributing to the motion, Sada Soli from Katsina, said some Nigerians who never occupied elective office or occupied the seat of the speakeir — Aliko Dangote, founder of the Dangote group; and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) — were honoured with the GCON. Babajimi Benson from Lagos said the motion calling for the Speaker to be honoured with GCON is “putting democracy right”. “Injustice to one is injustice to all. This injustice has gone on for too long,” Benson said. Oboku Oforji from Bayelsa said it “gives us heartbreak that the Speaker is honoured with CFR while CJN is honoured with GCON”. The motion was adopted when it was put to a…
ENUGU COUNCIL BOSS BANS ILLEGAL REVENUE COLLECTIONS, EXTORTION OF MOTORISTS
ENUGU COUNCIL BOSS BANS ILLEGAL REVENUE COLLECTIONS, EXTORTION OF MOTORISTS The Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, Pastor Beloved-Dan Anike, has placed a total ban on all illegal revenue collections and the extortion of motorists on roads within the local government area. Anike made the declaration as his first official action following his swearing-in and assumption of office on Monday. The move aligns with Governor Peter Mbah’s executive order, which prohibits any form of obstruction along roads across Enugu state. The affected routes included the Abakpa-Ugwuogo-Opi Nsukka Road, the Emene-Abakaliki expressway and all major gateways and corridors within the local government area. Announcing the directive, the Chairman stated: “Upon assuming office today as the Executive Chairman of Enugu East local government area, my first assignment was signing a public notice that bans all activities of touts and unauthorized revenue collectors operating along the Abakpa-Ugwuogo-Opi Nsukka Road, Emene-Abakaliki Expressway, and all gateways and major corridors within our local council. These individuals have been masquerading as revenue collectors and traffic officials. “This is in strict compliance with Governor Peter Mbah’s executive order, which outlaws any obstruction along the roads in the state. We have officially declared a war on these human obstructions. “After signing the order at the local government secretariat, following our official swearing-in ceremony, I made it clear that the era of gangsterism, hooliganism, and unlawful extortion is over in Enugu East LGA. “All task forces and groups currently operating in the council area are directed to cease operations immediately. Those with valid permits or licenses from authorised government agencies are required to submit proof of authorization to the council for profiling and certification. Any defaulters will face penalties as prescribed by law. “With this order, we assure the public that my administration is committed to restoring order in Enugu East LGA and ensuring the protection of the rights and safety of all citizens.” To ensure enforcement and compliance with the directive, Anike has also set up a seven-member enforcement committee led by Dr. Peter Aneke. The committee also includes Alphonsus Nnamchi as Secretary and the five Divisional Police Officers within the local government area as members.
- Foreign Affairs
- October 2, 2024
- 50 views
NIGERIANS RECEIVED THE MOST US GREEN CARDS IN AFRICA IN 2023
NIGERIANS RECEIVED THE MOST US GREEN CARDS IN AFRICA IN 2023 Nigerians received the most US green cards on the African continent in 2023, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. US immigration law defines a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or “green card” holder as a foreign national who has been granted the status of residing permanently in the country. LPRs may apply to become US citizens if they meet certain additional eligibility requirements. According to the 2023 lawful permanent residents annual flow report released by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) in September, nearly 1,173,000 persons were granted green cards last year. The report said majority of the new LPRs (52 percent) were already present in the US when they were granted lawful permanent resident status. About 64 percent were granted LPR status based on a family relationship with a U.S. citizen or current LPR,” the report said. The leading countries of new LPRs by birth were Mexico, Cuba, and India. The report said 418,930 of the total new green card holders were Africans (35.7 percent). Of the 20 countries featured on the list of the most granted green card permits, Nigeria ranked 15 and was the only African nation that made the cut. California was the most preferred state of residence for immigrants with 205,040 arrivals, the report showed. Florida ranked second while New York, Texas, and New Jersey were third, fourth, and fifth respectively. The median age for new LPRs was 35 years. “New LPR’s who were 65 years of age and older increased 62 percent from 2022,” the report added. Females were also the most granted green card permit gender, while married applicants received the most in terms of marital status. According to the US Census Bureau, 13.7 percent of the US population is Black or African American
MY SHOP WAS FULL BUT NOW EMPTY UNDER TINUBU’S BAD GOVT – LAGOS WOMAN FUMES
MY SHOP WAS FULL BUT NOW EMPTY UNDER TINUBU’S BAD GOVT – LAGOS WOMAN FUMES A female resident of Lagos State participating in the ongoing nationwide #FearlessInOctober protests has lamented that she considers committing suicide over the extreme hunger and hardship under the President Bola Tinubu-led government. The woman who blamed the Tinubu’s administration for making it completely impossible for her to feed her children and take care of her aged mother, lamented that as of Tuesday afternoon when she joined the protests, her children had not eaten breakfast. She lamented that she owned a shop where she used to sell drinks and that her shop was filled up with goods but there was nothing in the shop again. According to the woman who spoke in Yoruba language, when President Tinubu was declared the President in the 2023 general elections, she was happy because “Jagaban” was becoming the President but now she is not enjoying his administration. She said, “My children have not eaten breakfast. What if I give up and poison myself? I can’t even give my mother money because I don’t have anything. I don’t want to go into prostitution because I don’t want to be used for rituals. “I used to sell drinks and my shop was full but there’s nothing there again. When “Baba” was declared the president, we were happy because “Jagaban” was becoming the president but now we’re not enjoying him. “If I commit suicide, my own (tragedy) will be more than MohBad. Because the way they gave birth to us (citizens) is the same way they gave birth to you (our leaders). I have stopped giving my mother’s money to eat because I can’t afford it again.”
INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY SPEECH CONFIRMS TINUBU’S INSENSITIVITY – PDP
INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH CONFIRMS TINUBU’S INSENSITIVITY – PDP The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the 64th Independent Day Speech by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as another lethargic and windy rhetoric of false performance claims, “scripted to delude Nigerians in the face of abysmal failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.” PDP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said Nigerians are appalled that the President’s speech “did not address issues or proffer any solution to the myriads of economic and security problems created by the APC government, for which Nigerians are hurting.” The party said Tinubu has further confirmed the insensitivity of his administration towards the plight and demands by Nigerians which clearly authenticates PDP’s position that there is no hope in sight under the “clueless, insensitive and unresponsive APC-led government.” According to the PDP, “the failure of the speech to respond to the cries of millions of Nigerians that President Tinubu eases their suffering by reviewing life-suffocating policies of his government also validates concerns in the public space of an emerging totalitarianism where certain individuals or group of individuals are benefitting from the travail of the people. “It is indeed shocking that Mr. President’s speech practically trivialized the very grave issues of pervasive economic hardship, unemployment, acute poverty, widespread hunger and starvation in our country- for which Nigerians took to the streets in August this year- by claiming that about 10% of Nigerians have been plunged into hunger when confirmed reports show that over 100 million Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life under the APC watch. “Equally appalling is Mr. President’s irreconcilable assurances of micro-economic improvement, lower cost of living and food sufficiency, when in reality his administration has failed to lower the price of fuel; the key driver of our nation’s economy, failed to inject resources into the productive sector to boost employment, stem the slide of the Naira and made no tangible investment in food production in any part of the country. “The failure by Mr. President to listen to Nigeria to reduce the price of fuel, create employment and lift the value of the Naira by ending the profligacy in his government and direct resources to jumpstart our ailing productive sector shows that the APC administration is completely disconnected with Nigerians especially the youths. “Moreover, from the speech, it is clear that the APC-led administration is determined to stifle our nation’s democracy; the very fundamental of any independent nation as it is loudly silent on the erosion of credible election and constant attacks on constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens in our country under its watch.” The party however urged Nigerans to remain calm despite their disappointment and counsels President Tinubu to “visit the markets or take a walk with the youths on the street of any city in Nigeria to properly appreciate the real situation of the citizens rather than relying on fabricated statistics by officials of his government.”
WHY WE DEPLOYED OUR MEN AT RIVERS STATE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OFFICE – POLICE
WHY WE DEPLOYED OUR MEN AT RIVERS STATE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OFFICE – POLICEThe Rivers Police Command on Tuesday denied sealing the office headquarters of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission in Port HarcourtSpokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, made the clarification in reaction to publication by some online platforms that the office of RSIEC was sealed by the police.According to Iringe-Koko, the police officers seen at the RSIEC office were deployed to the place on the directive of the Commissioner of Police to protect the facility against any attack during the ongoing nationwide protest.She further advised journalists to always verify their facts before publication.SP Koko also revealed that there is no iota of truth in the allegation published in some social media platforms that the police assaulted and beat up some protesters.Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it is in total support of the conduct of the local government elections in Rivers State on October 5, 2024.The party has also stated that it is participating in the elections, and has, indeed, submitted the names of its candidates for the various positions.The party made its position known in a letter to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), INEC headquarters, Abuja, titled, ‘Re: Position of the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) on the forthcoming Local Government Election in Rivers State vis-a-vis the judgement in suit no. FHC/ ABJ/987/2024.”A statement signed by Chairman, APC Rivers State, Chief Emeka Beke, and State Secretary, APC Rivers State, Hon. Sam Sam Etetegwung, in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, recalled that following an attempt by some members of the National Working Committee of the APC to displace the duly elected State Executive Committee of the party in Rivers State by purporting to have dissolved the executive committee and replaced same with a caretaker committee led by one Chief Tony Okocha, the elected State Executive Committee approached the High Court of Rivers State in suit no. PHC/3592/CS/2023 (between Sam Sam Etetegwung and Abdullahi Ganduje & Ors), and suit no. PCH/3735/CS/2023 (between Chief Barnax Ezeboy Enyi & Ors and All Progressives Congress & Ors).The statement noted that in a judgment, the High Court of Rivers State presided by Hon. Justice S. H. Aprioku affirmed the validity and subsistence of the Beke-led executive committee until 2025.It further added that the court also set aside the purported caretaker committee of Chief Tony Okocha, and declared that the duly elected State Executive Committee (as led by Chief Emeka Beke) is the authentic leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.The statement also stated that the party was aware that the Federal High Court presided by Hon. Justice Peter Lifu delivered a judgment in suit no. PHC/ABJ/ CS/987/2024.It further stated that it is equally aware that on the 4th day of September, 2024, the High Court of Rivers State presided by Hon Justice I. P. C. Igwe in suit no. PHC/2696/ CS/2024 between Action Peoples Party (APP) and Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission had given a judgment compelling the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to proceed with the local government election scheduled for 5th October, 2024 or any other date of its choice.It noted that the judgment, being first-in-time to the latter judgment in FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024, takes precedence, cognisance of the fact that when two equities are equal, the first in time prevails.According to the statement: “We, however, hereby notify you that Chief Tony Okocha, who filed that suit purportedly as ‘Chairman, Caretaker Committee’ of the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State chapter, is an impostor and totally unknown to the Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress. He is neither the chairman nor is he a leader in any capacity whatsoever.“He (Chief Tony…
NIGERIA NEEDS INDEPENDENCE FROM STATE CAPTURE – PETER OBI
NIGERIA NEEDS INDEPENDENCE FROM STATE CAPTURE – PETER OBI Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to seek a true independent nation free from state capture and end the unprecedented hardship and suffering. He made the call on Tuesday on his social media handle as Nigeria marked its 64th independence anniversary from British colonialism on October 1, 1960. He said an anniversary celebration, whether for an individual or a country, offer opportunities to reflect on memories, celebrate accomplishments, look toward the future, and express gratitude. “This is exactly what we are doing today as our dear nation marks its 64th independence anniversary.” “It is now 64 years since Nigeria took charge of its destiny and embarked on the journey toward development as a sovereign nation. Today is a day to appreciate God for abundantly blessing us with natural, human, and material resources to build a great nation,” he said. Obi said, however, for him, this should also be a day of sober reflection for every Nigerian, especially for the leaders, whose actions and inactions have contributed to the stagnation and glaring failures we are witnessing at present. He said, “As the saying goes, an unexamined life is not worth living. We must, therefore, examine ourselves in the light of our nation’s journey over the past six decades. Have we lifted our people out of poverty, or have we driven more into it? Have we made education accessible to every Nigerian child, or have we allowed an army of over 18 million out-of-school children to roam the streets? Have we built a productive economy, or have we created a nation with the worst debt profile in its history? “By every measure of development, from the critical areas to the smallest aspects, we are underperforming. We rank poorly in security and peacefulness, making us one of the most insecure nations globally.” Obi said Nigeria is also ranked among the most corrupt countries, and is noted for disregard for the rule of law, thus making the nation to continue its dangerous dance on the edge of a precipice. “When we compare ourselves to countries that gained independence around the same time—before or after us—Nigeria stands out as a nation in decline, urgently in need of rescue from further decay. “On this day, therefore, we must make a solemn commitment to build a nation that is truly independent from the state capture that has dragged it into failure and kept its people in suffering. “We must create a nation free from tribal disunity and religious disharmony. We must build a New and Productive Nigeria that prioritizes the well-being of its citizens,” Obi said.
- Foreign Affairs
- October 1, 2024
- 72 views
FORMER US PRESIDENT, JIMMY CARTER, CLOCKS 100 YEARS TODAY, SHARES BIRTHDAY WITH NIGERIA
FORMER US PRESIDENT, JIMMY CARTER, CLOCKS 100 YEARS TODAY, SHARES BIRTHDAY WITH NIGERIA James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Today, October 1st 2024; President Jimmy Carter sets a new record on October 1, his birthday, when he will become the first American President to reach triple digits age (100) years old. President Carter came to Nigeria in 1978 to become the First American leader ever to make an official state visit to black Africa. He was greeted upon his arrival from Brazil at Murtala Muhammed international airport by Nigeria’s head of state, Lt Gen Olusegun Obasanjo and then driven immediately to State House on the Marina of Lagos Island where he and other top officials of his party are to stay during their three-day visit. The only other American President to pass through black Africa was Franklin D. Roosevelt who landed at Roberts Field in Monrovia, Liberia, en route home from the Cairo Conference in 1943. He stayed only a few hours, however, and did not pay and official visit. One significant thing is that every Head of State from 1960 till 1983 once used this Nigeria Army Land Rover NA 522 for ceremonial events.